Evening star., 1921-10-23
GERMANY MENACES
ERA OF GOOD WILL
Events Across Rhine May Decide Whether
Peoples of Europe Are to Realize
Amity and Progress.

I because the allies insist upon enforc-
Ing the demands for reparations?
, peace Of mind of the whole continent
rests These are issues of which just
solutions must emerge IL the conti-
nent is to progress as various peo-
pies would have it progress,
much to dissipate distrust, but now
that the Silesian decision has been
made known. decision which un-
doubtedly will be approved by the
council OF the league = Of nations.
newal Of grave doubts as to whether
Germany will continue obedient to
the dictates Of allied governments.
Dlsobedience, as every one knows,
will bring prompt sanctions from the
allies and it is extremely doubtful IL
Germany will escape as slightly as
she has in the past year through
their application.
The situation as it has. developed
in Germany in the past week is
| fraught with danger to all. The mark
has tumbled to such a point that the
Germans are beginning to insist that
a new regime be established in Ber-
lin. that reparations payments be re-
nounced and that Germany usher in u
prolonged and decidedly strenuous
With the mark between $50 and 200
to the dollar. with a ten-hour day
prevailing in Germany, the Germans
can manufacture cheaper than in any
place in the world and trade in
vasions would undermine industrial
ARE demanding reparations. and strug-
Cling toward industrial light.
The Upper Silesian situation. as l
predicted. is responsible for the hue
and cry raised in Germany against
! continuance of reparations payments.
The people. learning that they We're
to receive but half Of Silesia. have
gone into q panic and have flooded
! the market places with their marks.
Everywhere there is gloom, inasmuch
as the government led the people to
believe the whole of Silesia was es-
| sential to going Germany. Now
that it is known that Germany is 10
| lose half of the Silesian triangle. the
German situation reflects the stupid
| ity of any government which makes
! its people believe that the fate ef
| nations depends upon any given set
! tlemenl. political or otherwise.
The danger rests not in what the
people themselves may do. There is
every reason to believe that sooner
OF later they will subsSde and col
lect their wits unless prodded on by
golitical interests inimieal to the
groups which have never ceased to
plot against the democratic regime
and who have but thinly veiled their
threats that at a given moment they
would overthrow the allied reparations
agreements even at the expense of
a disorganized. helpless Germany.
But egotistical as they are, the
junker interests believe that they can
preserve Germany by defiance to the
allies through the force Of military
might. The German people gave their
answer to the junkers shortly after
the murder Of Matthias ErZberger
when they made it plain they wished
the republican form OF government.
But mob psychology works strange
tricks and there yet remains a ques-
tion as to whether fealty to the re-
public pledged when there were sttIl
hopes of retaining Silesia cannot be
turned against the government when
it is believed that a territory vital to
the nation Is to go to the hated
po1as.
The answer as to European progress
does not rest in the desires of other
peoples as yet. The answer to prog
ress and contentment still lies with
few days may decide which path
Europe as a whole is to take.
During the coming week the
reichstag is to assemble. Chancellor
Wirth may or may not fall. But
whatever happens, in SO far as the
makeup of the present government
is concerned, a reichstag vote on
resolutions to renounce reparation
payments would be the most vital. for
in such action the whole security
of Euyc pc rests