Der Nordstern. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1874-1931, 1922-12-14

ing for a plausible excuse, n getting
ready for the tremendous job, while
Germany had her weather-eye on the
Russian giant. And the war came and
Germany sprang at her enemies, to the
east, to the west, and was at last
conquered, more by famine and deceit,
than by force of arms.
An honorable and just peace was
promised to her, by Wilson in the
name of all, and then denied her,
mainly through Clemenceau's machin-
atoms. Now Clemenceau and France
with him are scared out of their wits.
The old plotter and destroyer sees
plots everywhere, and has PRESENT.
ment of coming retribution.
"Do you know that they are manu-
featuring n by the hundreds,
that they are making machinery ev-
erywhere," come the screams as of
one possessed.
"What are they preparing? I tell
you plainly, as I told Lloyd George be-
fore the war, they are preparing war
again. Don't you see what is going
on? Don't you read the papers? Why
haven't you heard of the treaty be-
tween the Turks and the Germans and
the R~ussians?"
Why yes, the Germans are manu-
featuring toy-cannons by the millions
to sell to American children, in order
to get bread and milk for their own
children. But for war, why,
Germany is forbidden to cast any for
it's own use or for export. An, says
Clemenceau, the German munition
factories are mainly in Russia where
we cannot control them. Possibly so;
we do not know, but we Americans dc
not consider it wrong to sell munitions
Of war to any belligerent; why should
it then be wrong for German capital
lists to move their munition factories
into Russia? What has that to do with
the Treaty of Versailles? But, retorts
C~lemenceau, the Germans have broken
faith again and again, and they are
certainly determined to break up the
Treaty of Versailles if they can. Pos
sibly So, once more; but who can
blame them for that? An unjust law
does not oblige; and an unjust treaty
has no binding force. That is reason
able and just. No gentleman would
feel bound to observe an unjust agree
ment forced upon him at the point Of
a pistol. No man would willingly pay
a note he signed in a robbers den in
favor of his jailer. That is exactly
what the Germans did, and what they
are justified in doing before the tri-
bunal of ethics, too. But C~lemenceau
exclaims with a fine flourish of his
gloved hand: "There are no exclusive
differences between the French and
the Germans. But there are differences
between Germany and the rest of the
world"
"For tn rest of the world live in
good faith. They believe a signature
and an engagement is a signature and
an engagement; a ma nwho doesn't
think in those terms-well, I leave it
to you what to do"
Not so fast, M. Clemenceau. There
are signatures and signatures; there
are engagements and engagements.
You might have learned from your
W dear Sganavelle: I'll y a fagots ct
fagots." Now don't answer, please:
"We have changed all that" No-the
liver is not the heart.
France and force are dissolvents in
any engagement in which they were
predominant. Where would your law
of divorce be, if this were not so. But
the whole world is now fast learning
that there was a plethora of fraud and
force in the making Of the Versailles
Treaty." To use your WI words, NJ.
Clemenceau: "A man who doesn't
think in these terms-well, I leave it
to you what to do" But we will hand
you this bouquet to smell at: Your
France can expect no friendship, no
help, no remission Of debts from US,
until you come before US hand in hand
with Germany, forgiving and forgiven.
The spirit of hatred and oppression is
not to our taste. You may expect re-
mission of your debt from us. Go
home and tell your people, OF keep
silence for ever.-J. E. R.