Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-07-14
4 French Plea for Germany

- wv years ago, OF even ouo yoaI oSo'
it would have seemed well-nigh in
credible that a representative French
journal would be heard in a plea for con
siderateness toward Germany. But now
comes the VICTOlhE, which is supposed to
speak for its country's governing coalition,
with cogent appeal for withdrawal from
the coaling stations on the right bank of the
Rhine and for removal of the customs bar
rier around the German district which has
been occupied since the armistice. These
mitigations have been asked by the new gov
eminent at Berlin, on the ground hat it has
accepted those Allied terms which its prede-
cessor rejected-inu emnities, disarmament,
trial of war criminals, and the rest. Pre-
sumably it was to compel acquiescence that
the coaIing stations at Rahrort, Duisburg and
Dusseldorf w>le occupied, and the customs
gauntlet raised; wherefore the powers at
Berlin that advised the policy of yielding
and that now stand responsible for it are
pleading for a removal of the special pen
alties.
This request strikes the vICTOIRE as $50
evidently just that no honest man can dis
pute the fact" and it goes on to lrgue:
"You take sanctions { penalties) against a
people because they refuse to carry out their
obligations They yield and submit We
have no valid reason today for remaining in
Ruhrort, in Duisburg and Dusseldorf and
MAINTAINING customs barrier, unloSS Wueu
we took the sanctions we had hypocr1t1cal
thoughts at the back of mind of prepar-
ing the annexation of the Rhineland by
isolating it from the rest of Germany by a
customs barrie in spite OF the Versailles
treaty. All we can say is that we want to
wait still few weeks to see whether Baya-
ria disarms and how things shape themselves
in Upper Silesia; but it would be an outra-
geous injustice not to recognize in principle
that e ought ehOrt' to eVacuate the coallng
soon as the last conditions o. the ultimatum
have been carried out" This course,
in the judgme Mt of the French journal, is
right in policy as well as in principle. 1t is
to the interest of France and Europe that
the pacific and democratic elements in Ger
many be fostered; elsewise the militarist
and monarchist forces, now quiescent but far
from extinct, will regain the saddle. Those
desirable elements are represented by the
party which is now in the ascendant, and
which came into office upon a program of
acceptance of the Allied ultimatum. To
weaken this party in the eyes of the Ger
man people woulc be obviously i'll advised;
and weakened it doubtless will be if after
yielding to all Allied demands it cannot Sc
cure lifting of those particular penalties
which were imposed when it's predecessor in
power refused to yield.
1t augurs we'll for France that her leading
minds see thus clearly despite natural and
lingering mists Of war passion. For those
whose country was not INVADED, L. is easy
enough to think calmly and justly in this
third summer slice the second Marine; but
would it be surprising if the French, after
all that was torn from their hearts and all
that was scared into their memories should
be yet unable to give reason, rather than
hate, the reins? That a portion of them
stand out for vengeance was made evident
in the recent ministerial crisis when Premier
BRAND, counseling moderation, was jeered
by faction in the Chamber of Deputies.
But it was equally evident then and has
grown more so since, that the Gjeers were
not the majority. The deeper France, the
thinking France, the France that held Yer
dun, speaks for a policy of healing and con-
struction rather than hate and aggression
The words of the VICTOIRE ring SO rea-
sonable and true that they strike the foreign
reader as the only thing 20 be said on the
matter. But that astute journal, had il
been SO minded, could have mustered al
manner of ingenious reasons against the
course it now advocates. Reasons a-plenty
always DE found for any position which
one may take Or into which circumstances
may thrust one; the rarer virtue is to see
the truth and follow it, regardless of mere
argumentatiC or sef-interest. To the credi
and glory of these French leaders, they SEE
and do perceive. Happy for their country
and for the world, if the wisdom and mod
GRAFTON of such minds prevail. After al
that humanity has suffered since that fate
full summer seven years ago, after all the
agonies and burdens and besieging problems
which have come, not to this that nation
alone, but to mankind in common and which
can never be solved or escaped save through
a common effort, every voice of true patriot
ism should be lifted for international CO
working and good. will.