The Washington herald., 1921-06-26
Rule by Politicians Doomed
By New Economic Conditions
Terms of World Peace VIII Be Applied |
Leaders in Financial World and Not by
Soldiers or Government Heads.

mands of them the gravest sacri-
ices. and on the other upon these
captains OF finance and industry.
whose whole cosmos is ruined by
conflict.
To me the meeting of Loucheur
and Rathenau seems Significant be-
yond most OF which has happened
since the treaty of Versailles was
signed. The Significance does not
lie in what was done or not done.
but the meeting Itself is symbolical
OF what is taking place In Europe
and in the world today. Finance
and business are essentially inter-
national IL German big business
had shared the view Of the rest OF
the business world Of this planet.
there would have been no world war
because. at the final hour. German
business would have interviewed aud
the politician and the soldier would
have been compelled to yield. But
German business had already sur
rendered to the soldier and the poli-
tician. who were at best only its
tools.
viii Seek TO Escape Treaty.
Now Germany has not as yet
been admitted the League OF Ma
tions or to the Supreme Council.
but German Big business has re-
occupied a place in the economic
Supreme Council of the World.
which is an UNOFFICIAL body. but not
less potent because of this fact.
Certainly German Big Business will
seek to free Germany from every
chain imposed by the treaty of
Versailles. assuredly IL will pursue
national and patriotic ends. which
are also economic and selfish. but
only within the limits which repre-
sent action without war.
And exactly In the same way, not
only French Big Business or rather
finance, but the big business OF the
world, exercising u restraining in
huence upon France. will operate
to make impossible the adoption of
French policy which might drive
Germany into a war that would
mean national suicide. We shall
have Incidents. quarrels. ulti-
matums, strained house and every
sort of alarms, just as we have had
them in the past, but the prospect
OF an armed collision between
France and Germany in the lifetime
~ MY HON dllNc ls
slight and growing slighter.
The future OF Germany, from the
Industrial and economic point OF
view does not and cannot lie in new
/ adventures in the west. wither In
a fresh attack upon France or in
new challenge to Britain on the
high seas. II must be sought along
the Danube and perhaps on the Wis.,
tula. Central Europe is and will
remain the natural sphere for Ger
man Industrial expansion. Despite
all that other nations may do. IL is
Germany which will win most OF
the economic prizes when Russis
comes back into the circle OF civil
ized nations again. But IL German
Imperialism seeks to make political
annexation the accompaniment OF
Industrial expansion. then the edi-
fice will be wrecked a second time
The real obstacle to France-Ger-
man peace is not Alsace-Lorrains
or even the Sarre. but Poland
France has assumed the position OF
protector OF Poland because in the
Polish alliance lies the sole method
| Of bridging the gap between
French and German man. power
But one may question how far the
French championship of Poland
would go. once the question q;
French security from German at
tack were established.
The most useful contribution the