San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-10-21
CIVIL WAR IN GERMANY

| Anyone VINO thought that Mr.. Lloyd
George. in his Chicago speech, cxaggcr-
ated the menace OF discomfort in Ger
many would have but TO read the cable
dispatches OF the following day to be-
come disabused OF any such idea. The
former premier used strong words, in
deed. to delineate Central Europe's
plight But stronger still were the mani
festations OF impending tragedy which
those dispatches described less than
twenty-iour hours after the famous
Wcshman had delivered his memorable
address.
With Just few strokes he presented
the possibilities. After abiding to the
Armistice Day procession in London in
which American troops participated, and
saying that the occasion was marked
by red dawn--thc dawn of peacc-hc
turned swiftly to this thought:
There is an old Oriental saying,
Hast seen the dawn? Thou hast not
seen the dusk The skies are full OF
menace: the storm clouds are gather
ing, ard unless the mariners who arc
i'll charge OF the ship OF civilization
cool heads the craft will inevitably be
wrecked with its cargo OF achievement
and hope for mankind
Then the next days headline: Civil
War Imminent in Germany"
Oh course Mr.. Lloyd-George was
speaking as European. and necessarily
from the European standpoint. 1t could
not truthfully be said that the United
States has had any part in the marshal
ing Of the factors that have spelled trout
bic for Europe since the signing of the
armiStice. Yet Americans cannot but be
acutely interested in the causc-and-cf-
feet relationship between postwar poll
cics OF the ally nations. their own coun-
try's wartime associates, and the threat !
cned internal disruption OF Germany.
Mr.. Lloyd-Georgc's speech might we'll |
have been designed for French consump-
ton. For, ii Germany should be torn
asunder from within. that development
would certainly be subject to intcrpreta-
ton in the light which the former Brit
ish premier shed upon Frances resort
to force in her attempt to collect repara-
tons from Germany.
Great Britain, he said had opposed |
violent methods OF collecting reparations, |
because such methods can produce moth
ing but troublesome trouble today. |
worse trouble tomorrow. and perhaps the |
worst trouble OF all the day after to-
morrow But if, as some people have |
suspected and as Premier Poincare has |
repeatedly denied, France entered the |
Ruhr, not to collect Preparations. but to |
destroy her traditional enemy, then she
would be expected to welcome rather
than deplore the trouble which. accord
ing to Mr.. Lloyd Georges philosophy, is |
attributable largely to her policy OF |
military compulsion.
However, the old saying recited by
the former British premier, that "men,
to escape a fire. will plunge into boiling
water" might find an impressive cxem-
plifitation ii Germany should become en-
quilted in a civil war. Time was when
the Germans seemed willing. even anX-
ious, to go TO work to extricate them |
selves from the sad plight into which |
the insane, o'er-vaulting ambitions Of
their predatory ruler had cast them. But
since the French invaded the Ruhr the
Germans normally given to brooding in
the face of adversely. have become de-
spondent almost to the degree of hope
lcssncss. and it is no wonder that their |
domestic troubles have come to over
shadow those associated with the pres
ence in their midst OF hated foreign |
army.