Evening star., 1921-05-08
BY HENRY w. BUNN.

copyright. 1921. by The Washington Star,
1E following is brief summary of the
news of the world for the seven days
ended May I:
GERMAEY:--Eear midnight of Monday. the
ID Secretary Hughes dispatched a cable, urs-
ing tho German government to make at once
directly to the allied governments clear. oen-
mite and adequate proposals
On the morning of May .. no such pro-
posals ha wing been received nor any lntinlation
that such were in train or even IN cohteHpa
tiou tho supreme council delivered an ultima
tum to which Germany must subscribe nF an
unqualified written yes" before noon Oh May
1o; else immediate occupation OF the ltuhr baS'h
The ultimatum calls for acceptance OF the
reparation commissions bill and scheme tor us
liuudation for promise to fulfill dis
armament obligations previously Defined ana a
new promise to bring to trial at once those
accused Of crimes.
For the immediate future. it remains to
see whether the Germans will subscribe TO the
u,timatum. Suppose they do. Then it remains
TO see how the London program Will work.
Suppose it don't Then it remains to see how
occupation of the industrial heart of Germany
will work AS to the reparation features OF
the London program. only an exhaustive study
could show how more severe these are 'hah
those of the Paris program. For such greater
thank ct really is not certain. 1t seems mat
the new terms are more severe than the Paris
ones. 1t is significant that Mr.. Clyne, the
labor leader; Mr.. Asquth, and even Mr. Keynes.
find them reasonable and acceptable by Ger
many)
For the practicabity of the new program
only trial can decide that question The much
abused treaty contains clement provisions in
tended to safeguard Germany against unbear-
able burdens
In his speech to the commons on May ..
explaining the London program. NJ. Lloyd
George correctly pointed out that of the three
main heads of German offending, that in respect
of disarmament is the most important Inc
illicit military formations still afoot in Ger
many are terrible menace to the peace both
within and without Germany: they hamper the
normal process of German political evolution
The Enwohnerwehr in Bavaria more than
100000; in East Prussia the numbers are form
liable These gentry have rifles and a very
large number of machine guns. They are
veterans: bellicose and reactionary. SO !one as
they remain armed, the communists cannot be
expected to turn over their concealed weapons
1t is not forgotten how last summer, when the
bolshevists were on the Bug and the Nistuia,
twas but the difference of hair whether or
not the Germans would throw in their lot with
Moscow
But the guarantees? NJ. BRAND gives up the
Ruhr occupation, and gets what in return: The
old familiar promises, forsooth, and a new
commission; the committee Of guarantees. a sub
commission of the reparation commission, which
shall sit in Berlin and receive moneys, without
coercive authority power What. then, 90
the French skeptical of promises and commits
sions, get to compensate for loss of the guar
antee which military occupation of the Ruhr
would give The entente is preserved and
strengthened, the British and Ita ans are com
rnitted the London program through. The
greater sanctions not abolished; merely
suspended Should the Germans default under
the London program. says NJ BRAND, the Ruhr
basin would be occupied at once, without ref
erence 70 any allied conference
There remain. however two other important
things to see. What will the French chamber
say to the London program? And what does
the United States government think--What may
it possibly have to say-about the program
The supreme council has formally invited
the United States government to be represented
at the present and future allied conferences,
at the ambassadors conference. which sits
Paris, and on the reparaton commission. The