Evening star., 1923-01-14
GERMAN
Germany Bayonet
Driven, Auers
Harden.
BY MACMILLAN HARDEN.

BERLIN, January 13.-Dark days,
Frances march into the Ruhr should
not surprise the world. She has had
her eyes on that productive valley
ever since the armistice was signed
and the ridiculous treaty of Versailles
was negotiated.
Germany signed the treaty under
protest. Now she protests against the
breaking of that treaty by the latest
French aggression. But who is TO heed
the protest?
Germany. impotent, has been wait
ing for some one to come to her res
cue, but no one comes. The govern
ment has thought the United States
would act-has frankly said that it
expected economic aid from the United
States. A few weeks ago this expecta-
tlon sent the mark sailing upward.
But now, in the darkness, the mark
has gone deeper into the cellar
Germany, like a toothless old dog,
IS driven into her kennel at the point
OF the bayonet.
No one can say as yet just what will
come OF the occupation of the Ruhr.
Germany has for months been racing
toward the abyss.
England stands Alone.
put 10 the world at large there is
perhaps a more important and GER
talnly more definite development
England no longer is European
power. She stands in ISOLATION 1T is
now the continent for itself England
iookS lot friendship and possible fu-
ture alliance across the broad waters
of the Atlantic. Her influence no
longer prevails across the narrows OF
the channel.
france has broken away from Brit
isn control. France, with her power
Iul army and submarine fleet her air.
pIanes and bombs and torpedoes of a
destructive power hitherto undreamed
seems to all opponents of a brutal
military spirit hindrance today TO
peace, progress, civilization and
Tomorrow France can threaten
England's life as well as Germany's
England told her she ought to dis
arm. especially il reparations in kind
signatories and four-power pact
were arranged whereby England,
france, Germany and Italy would
| agree not to make war on each other
without plebiscite. Such was the
thought of the commercial mind.
British Plan Rejected.
But France rejected the British
plan, which would give her a maxi
| mum of thirty billion gold marks, and
would remove the protecting fence of
versailles. She mocks at pact
| which could not prevent a pro-war
piebiscite in Germany nor prevent
Germany invading Poland, the Bel
GUM of Czechosloyakia, and won't
sacrifice single bayonet to such a
phantom, for her army seems indis-
pensable on the Rhine and at Pas de
Calais, without which she would be
| helpless against British despotism
and caprice.
The enrarepApt ri,rs .xoh,n.a
| under the Christmas mistletoe are
broken and England. which wanted
to give France a choice between a
! free hand on the Rhine with oriental
concessions or be Isolated and pill
| loried as a disturber. of the peace,
now sees herself isolated. Belgium,
Italy, the little entente. Poland-aIl
are on the side of France. Ehgland's
| isolation, the first since Salishury's
| time, is truly splendid. She has the
dominions and America on her side.
| She can lure Russia to her net by
| recognizing the soviets. She can try
| to split Islam by re-establishing the
| former sultan in Mecca but the wise
ones in the foreign office doubtless
realize that all these trumps cannot
| win dominant power on the con-
/ tinent.
So out goes England But how will
| she, too. be greedy, or will her people
| at last see that Europe must create
1 a new order from her own strength.
! according to her own needs, and no
longer endure the guardianship of a
great power which really has been
| more strongly interested in and for
other continents than for Europe?
United States of Europe:
God moves in mysterious ways His
miracles to perform. What if there
| should ensue from the latest seemingly
untoward happenings in Europe that
dream of all far-seeing people, United
| States of Europe?
| The first dawrling recognition that
| England no longer is a European power
/ is more important than any Of the
latest phases of the reparations quarrel,
| and a race now is beginning in Paris for
/ an agreement with the Russia of tomor-
row. England. worthy of the greatest
admiration as an unsurpassed model
/ state and the center Of history as the
l most powerful empire, should realize
| that united Europe could guarantee
! her an open door for ner exports and
| free access to her territorial possessions
! in Asia and the North sea, and would
| do so if she would promise to abandon
all interest in Europe's internal affairs.
| For the time being 1t is only the in
| stinct of the people which is stirring,
but soon reason will be awakened and
will show both French and Germans the
way of collaboration. The exchange Of
rings then will be unnecessary, but the
third party, who publicly advocates
| union while secretly desiring dissension
| and breaches resignation when his own
pockets are full, must finally abandon
| the authority of guardian and the pleas
| ures of the gallant friend of the house.