The Washington herald., 1922-07-10
TEUTONFEARS
WAR IF FRANCE
INVADESRUHR
Ex-C Chancellor Michaelis
Predicts Explosion If
Paris Persists.
COUNTS ON ALLIES
TO AVERT TROUBLE
Wants New Peace Farley
To Readjust Treaty
Of Versailles.

counting on Sredt Britain ana the
United States to save her from
dismemberment IL France demands
this price for failure to pay the
July reparations bill, DR.. George
Michaelis. who was Chancellor Of
the German empire under the Kali
ser in 1917. declared here today.
France. he said, is blinded by
hate and cannot see that IL Ger
many goes down-as he says she
will II the allies insist on their
present reparations demands-she
will drag France down with her
and cause the whole world to suffer
another period of depression and
confusion.
81 hesitate to think what would
happen IL France should occupy the
Ruhr basin or some of our other
valuable industEial districts in order
to collect in IN way what we can
not afford to pay in reparations."
DR.. Michaelis said. That would
probably arouse a spirit of despair
and hatred that OF might be impos-
sible to keep in hand There would
be a great explosion.
Allies May Prevent.
But 1 don't think England and
America would permit France to do
that. The British realize too well
what the terrible consequences
would be: France would 20 down
in the crash with Germany and
England and America would suffer
France"
DR.. Michaelis Is here on his way
home from a trip to the Orient in
behalf OF the International Christian
Students movement. He Is head of
the movement in Germany and has
retired from all political life. This
man. who was head of the Kaiser's
government for several critical
months during the war. lounged in
a big arm chair at his hotel in an
English looking tweed suit. a short
pleasant humored man Of As5 and
kept turning questions about Ger
many into talk OF idealism and co.
operative movement OF quasi
soc!alistic nature in which he iS in
terested. He talked in almost per-
feet English more like a radically
inclined economies professor than a
man who had directed the German
government at a critical period of
the war.
News Depresses Him.
Il have been very much depressed
by the news from Germany in the
last two days" DR.. Michaelis said.
The continued decline of the mark
Is an awful thing for US. am
glad that our government asked for
a moratorium on the July repara-
tions payment for I really believe
the government is unable to pay It.
spent many years in the govern
ment before the war. / became
food controller during the war and
finally in 1917, / was made Chan
cellor. From this long experience
think know truly what Germany
can afford to pay and 1 believe IT
is impossible for her to pay the
sums asked by the allies. either in
gold. or goods.
IF the treaty Of Versailles is not
changed, It will really be impossible
for Germany to go on. II We must
continue to pay such sums as are
asked the mark will, keep on going
lower. Millions Of dollars are be-
ing kept out of Germany by our
big business men because IL they
bring the money into the country.
thew have to give It up to the allies
through taxes.
Want. New Peace Parley.
There are dozens of German
companies which handle all OF their
money outside of Germany and
bring In only such money as Is alb
solutely necessary" A new peace
conference is necessary, he believes.
I'VE have not had a real con-
ference" DR.. Michaelis declared
when you call US in and tell US
to sign or die, that Is not con-
ference. We must all come to-
gether as good fellows and not as
enemies and look over the books
and go through our safes and see
what We really can pay.
Then world reeonstruction
must be worked out that will in
clude not only England and France.
but he United States, Germany and
Russia. There must he co-opera-
ton between all of these coun-
tries"
The internal troubles, he thought.
were not so serious as news dis
patches indicated. The present
monarchist revolutionary movement
which led to the assassination of
DR.. Walter Rathenau, the foreign
minister. will be as abortive as the
Kapp revolution, DR.. Michaelis pre-
d.cted.
The German republic Is net in
danger Every man who loves his
country must support the republic.
ms hs. "a IN, fxr1 -