The Washington herald., 1922-07-23
By FRANK H. sIMoNDs.

Recent days. which have seen the
fourth anniversary Of the second
battle of the Marne. the Aisne-
Marne of American official records.
have also been marked by events
which call into question much of
the achievement of the war itself.
In a word. we have come close to
that fnal place in the German finan-
cial situation which has been for so
long forecast.
For three years. ever since the
signing Of the treaty of Versailles.
1.-THE Germans have been engaged in
a campaign to escape the conse-
quences of defeat and place upon
other people the burdens of the de-
yastations wrought by their armies
in foreign fields and cities. During
this same time Europe has mani
testify waited upon American ac-
tion. In the hope that American aid
would be forthcoming for the gen.
eral liquidation of war financial
questions.
Rfses From German Attack.
Now. when 1t seems that Europe
can wait no longer and that Amer
lea Is less disposed than ever to
participate in any general adjust
ment II is perhaps necessary to Ie-
call simple facts having value in
tho discussion which promises to
be the dominating fact in foreign
Affairs for many weeks to come
And at the outset IL is unfortunately
necessary to recall the fact that the
whole reparations issue rises direct
~ out of the German attack upon
her neighbors prepared over long
years. delivered without regard to
treaties and carried on in foreign
territory with the deliberate pur-
pose of making recovery after war
impossible for the foe.
Reparations do not represent
3punitive damages levied as Germany
levied damages upon France after
1871 to pay the costs of successful
aggression The treaty of ver-
failles only exacts payment for two
tnlngs, damages to property and to
person. Within the latter category
Is included the costs of military
pensions as well of injuries to ci-
villains during the struggle.
Touches Crucial Question.
Now as to the justice of imposing
upon Germany the expense of the
reconstruction OF the ruins and even
that incident to the payment of PEN
sions of those other victims who
were not military there can be no
real discussion which deserves a
hearing. nor has there been any real
debate upon the merits of this pro-
posal. Such debate as we have so
Tar had turns upon two questions
the right under the terms of the
armistice of taxing Germany with
the costs of pensions. etc. and the
ability of Germany to pay in gem
eral
AS to the matter Of pensions. we
touch at once upon a crucial ques-
tion. Thanks to the form the discus
sion over reparations has taken and
cur foreign news comes from Eng
lish sources, there exists in this
country q general impression that
MDahe responsibility for the high fig
ure Of reparations and for the in
clusion of pensions within the total
Is French; that the British. its good
allies. allowed themselves to be
C$erpersuaded at Paris. This is not
the fact.
Could Not Tax Germans.
At Paris the American representa-
tives took the ground that under the
language Of the armistice IL was not
possible to tax the Germans with the
costs of military pensions. They
further argued that the question
was really academic because in any
event Germany would not be able
to pay both the costs of devasta-
tions which every one agreed she
should pay. and those of pensions.
But this American argument at
once encountered British opposition.
Lloyd George had just conducted a
political campaign at home in which
his chief appeal had been the prom
Use to make Germany pay all of
every kind OF cost and the accom-
panying assertion that Germany
could pay. At Paris George and his
associates impatiently thrust aside
the American contention, to accept
which would have been to repudiate
recent campaign assertions, too re-
cent. in fact.
To fortify the British position
kend demolish the American, the
British produced financial experts
ready to swear to the touch O. sun
that Germany could pay any sum
and. in point of fact, the highest
estimate of German capacity to pay
coming from any expert was sup
piled by a Briton. The British were
then interested in having the sum
total fixed high, not alone because
of domestic political reasons but
for quite obvious material reasons.
Would Go to France.
British losses from German de-
vastation were quite inconsiderabls
except in the matter of shipping.
and IL would be possible to exact
repa. alton in tonnage for much of
this. II IL was once established as
a matter Of principle that Germany
would pay only Tor property de-
stroyed, then, ratently. reparations
payments would in the main go to
France, which had suffered the great
property loss. and would be divided.
for the rest, among the Italians and
the Belgians.
The only way by which the Brit
ish could get access to any large
for the inclusion Of an item. like
pensions. II this were included,
then their share might be substan-
tial. Now. the Americans at Paris
argued that legally the Germans
were not bound under the language
y the armistice to pay pensions;
Tthat in point Of fact they could not
anyway. and the British took the
opposite view. Thus the decisive
vote was left to the French.
Listened to British.
Unfortunately for themselves. the
French listened 70 eritisa, not to
American arzumenrS Thev accant-