New-York tribune., 1922-03-30
Removing the Mask

When Lloyd George on Monday in
the British House of Commons once
more INDUCES in the practice of
wrestling with his critics he may
again floor them. His prestige is
still great and the opposition is not
organized into coherent party or
centered about leader.
But the news from Germany and
Russia is not such as TO give the old
ring Of confidence to his voice. The
Genoa conference has soured on his
hands The United States is to be
absent, France is suspicious and
Germany and Russia, by the peculi-
arities Of their notions about the
rights and privileges Of debtors,
would make the gathering farcical.
The British Prime Minister'S astute-
ness failed him when he irretriev-
ably committed himself to support
ing a conference which will be fortu-
nate if it does not degenerate into a
gathering Of mere wranglers.
Lloyd George, under the triple
pressure Of the Asquith Liberals,
British trade interests and Bolshe-
visit sympathizers among the British
labor leaders, has gone far toward
urging soft terms for Germany and
toward being practical" with re-
spect TO Russia. He recommended
Chancellor Wirth to favorable con-
sideration and has intimated that,
after all, Lenine was not as bad as
painted. And Wirth retorts by tell
ing a wildly applauding Reichstag
that Germany will impose no new
taxes, must have a years mora
torium and likewise have placed to
her credit the proceeds of generous
foreign loan. Not to be outdone, Le-
nine demands not only the political
recognition of his blood-soaked re-
gime, but twenty-year postpone
nent Of payment and reduction Of
her debt by the amount the Cars
government contributed to the war
when Russia was an ally and of Rus
sia S war expenditures since. Verify
the prediction that it would not be
long until Germany and Russia
would figure out that the Allies owed
them money is in process Of fulfill
meut
These latest utterances from Ber-
lin aud Moscow are calculated to
tear the last shred of illusion from
the hopes the world has fooled itself
with. Neither Germany nor Russia
intends to pay, They would not and
they do not think they can be CON-
PEELED to. Both are aware that his
tory tells that there is but one way
to force a nation TO meet its obliga-
tions-namely, the seizure in whole
or in part of its territories. with
evacuation occurring only to the de-
gree that there is payment. This
was the time-honored method en-
p!oyed by Germany when she ap-
piled the screws to France. When
the Allies decided against marching
to Berlin and to Moscow they under
mined their repafation policy.
Messrs. Wjrth and Lenine have
carefully studied the acts and exam
ined the present spirit of the nations
which nominally won the war. AS the
result of their cogitations they have
reached the conclusion that it is safe
not TO pay. The once allied nations.
they see, are so confused and divided
as not to be dangerous or threaten
ing. So off goes the mask.
II is not worth while for this
country or any other longer to befool
itself. Talking at Genoa will not re-
cement the alliance which showed
cracks at Paris. The so-called Glib
eral" opinion of the world has had
its way--has transferred the resto-
ration burden from the intact ma
tions which lost the war TO the raw
aged nations which won il. This is
not yet admitted in official docu-
nlents, but soon will be. As for jus
tice, it is only old fogies who will
think OF speak of it, 1t is costly for
q nation TO lose war, but even more
costlv to win ona Ask France