The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1921-03-05

in 1871 and what the Allies are now
! demanding of Germany in defeat is
| both pertinent and Illuminating, In
the opinion of some Of our editorial
observers. The indemnity paid by
| France after the Franco-Prussian war
was 5000. 00o. 900 francs. or $1,000
| OOO, 900, and the Germans did not re-
tire until it was paid in full. The
present bill against Germany for
226, 900. 600, 900 gold marks payable
in ~forty-two years, experts estimate.
is equivalent to a present cash pay
ment of $1,000, 600, 000-which is
less than the war debt to the United
| States alone. Says the New York
| Tribune:
How does the bill of 81, 000,0 00,-
| 900 which Germany presented to
France compare with the tentative
s21,O00,0 600, 900 bill which the Allies
have submitted to Germany?
A great change has occurred in the
purchasing power of the gold mark
in the fifty years. Gold has depreci-
ated more than one-half. So Oh the
| basis of 1871 gold values the bill is
not more than $4,000, 600, 900.
Secondly the present population Of
Germany is about double that of
| France in 1871. Measured per CAPT
ia, then, what is now asked of Ger
many must be halved again to make
a rue comparison. The PREPARATIONS
bill, when judged relatively, thus
falls to $1,000. 900 900.
Thirdly, individual wealth per
capita in Germany is something like
| four times what 1t was in France in
1871. Allowing that half of this is
due to gold depreciation, the other
half may be ascribed to a positive in
crease in wealth accumulation, and
| another cutting in two is needed to
arrive at a true comparison. This
brings the reparations total down to
50, 500, 900, 600.
Finally, the German bill in 1871
was not to repair damage Germany
was not invaded or a German brick
disturbed), but solely for var ex-
penditures. On the contrary, France
is to get nothing for her war expend-
itures-only about one-half enough
to repair her ravaged territories. She
Is the poorer in actual property by
many billions, though Germany pay
her bill in full. and longer than forty
two years her thrifty taxpayers will
be burdened to meet the cost of ex-
| polling the Germans.
"It is high time to recognize ex-
actly what the new German propa-
| ganda implies. 1t means not only
that Germany is to pay relatively lit
| tie more than did France in 1871,
but that an intact Germany, having
w%antonly begun a war, is to emerge
| from the conflict in a condition to
| distance France in economic COM
petition"
II fifty years ago Germany was
justified in demanding $1.OOO,O00.-
900 from France for a brief conflict
carried on most wholly in French ter
ritory, remarks the Troy Record,
such demands as Germany is nov
required to meet are in no sense of
the word excessive" And the same
paper goes on to say:
"In the Franco-Prussian war France
had suffered to the extent of billions
from an invasion by Germany and the
p~rostration of its industries. Still an
immense indemnity was asked, an in
demnity which in modern figures
would be at last twice as great. It's
demand vas enforced by the presence
Of German garrisons.
Under the plan of the Allied coun-
Gil Germany is not required, as
France was in 1871, to pay the en-
tire costs of the war. Germany is
only compelled to pay a small frac-
ton of them. During the struggle
Germany kept its enemies out of its
territory by crooked interpretations
Of treaties and by the scrapping of
others. 1t suffered. not at all in COM
p~arison with its enemies. 1t is whin-
ing now because its babies have not
enough food; yet it retains 100000
cows which 1t stole from Belgium and
france, and which it promised to re-
turn. Its whole course has been
contemplate and savage from the be-
ginning. The only way 1t can un-
derstand its defeat is by making it
pay for that defeat"