Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-02-07

maintenance of the armies Of occu-
patton, and they have figured that
hood Of twenty billion marks.
When the average German stops to
reflect that he Is paying six million
marks a day merely for the mainten-
ance of the American army Of octupa-
ton he feels somewhat hot under his
collar but his indignation is not aim
ed at America; but at the spirit in
which the Versailles treaty was for
mulated.
Inflammable Material
To those who have followed the de-
velopment of German events with
rather close attention for many
months, it is clear enough hat in
conditions such as these mentioned
above there is plenty of inflammable
material. n.
When to this is added the assur-
ance that 226 billion gold marks must
be paid to the Allies, it will surprise
no one that popular German senti-
ment is so strongly aroused as to
make any sudden violence possible.
1t should be borne in mind that the
talk of restoring the Hohenzollern
dynasty to the German throne has by
no means died down. Couriers are
maintaining a regular dispatch ser
vice between Berlin and the Dutch
Wilhelm is saving wood and dream
ing dreams of past and, probably flu
ture glory. Quite recently, the Reichs-
tag looked into charges that money
was being shipped out of Germany
! for the support of the exile at Doom
and his immediate family, and this,
coupled with the fact that the mon
archist party in the country is numeri-
cally and financially very strong,
makes the thought Of a coup d'etat
a not very remote possibility.
Soviet Idea Strong
There is, also, the prospect Of a
proletarian revolution to consider.
Events during the last few months of
1920 showed conclusively that the So
Wet doctrine exemplined by Lenin and
Trotzky, and preached by their hench-
men, has made surprisingly strong
progress in Germany. In fact, the
Soviet principle has gained so many
adherents there hat it could be used
with some effect in the arguments
which the German government pre-
scented to the Allied Powers pleading
the necessity of maintaining their mil
itia.
Finally, it is an incontrovertible
fact that the Ebert government IS
politically weak; it has no backbone
and exists more or less as a make
shift administration. The present
government of Germany comprises
not one single mar who is a states
man or a politician of the first cal
ibre and it is suffered to exist chiefly
because nothing better is at hand just
now
Background is Prepared
BE- TUh~~ k4I,s-- ~ A--- S--- S-A>
consideration, it will be understood
that the background for the lex Ger
man drama has been set up. 1t re-
quires but little to start a new con-
flagration, and as to this the Allies
are in a quandary, for they are not
DESTROYS Of seeing the return of the
Hohen7ollerns, o r they parti-
cularly infatuated with the idea Of
having the Soviet form of government
established in the very center of con-
tinental Europe.
Undoubtedly the announcement
that the sum of reparations has been
fixed will p~recipitate a revolutions; in
fact, there is nothing in sight which
makes it probable that it can be
avoided. 1t will come, first. in the
form Of a bitter fractional strife which
will result in giving either the mon
archists or the Sovietists the upper
AA0AANc, anu, SCCoIlu, III Iuc
o%verturn of the Ebert goernment.
OF Importance to World
AS things have developed affairs in
Germany have become a matter of
interest to the entire world, and ever
the victorious nations are unable to
look calmly at the political evolution
of the conquered country. 1t lis,
therefore, to be expected that some
measure will be agreed upon to avert,
3lif possible, any catastrophe that may
fbring Germany, to the very brink OF
ruin.
At this moment no German knows
what will happen next. The entire
nation is stunned-dazed as if it had
been struck with a club. 1t is i'm
possible to foretell what will happen,
except that the 22s billions will react
IN Germany in some exceedingly VIC
lent manner
But there will be a period of sus-
pense. The German government has
once more an opportunity to max its
position clear, and if the Allied states
men do not recognize the points thai
Twill be emphasized during the forth
4 coming conference, it seems as though
nothing short of a miracle can save
Germany and Central Europe from
continued warfare.
To summarize the situation:
Whether Germany declares hel
willingness to pay in cash 226 billion
gold marks. or not, there will be
serious trouble. If the is tC