Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1923-01-13
GERMANY HAD PLANNED.
TO SPLIT UP FRANCE
Ready TO Seize Coal, Iron and
Colonies Had She Won
World War.

when all the world ~ talking ~ the
seizure by france ~ n section ~ Ger
man territory, as security against
fr,ther defaults In reparatlons pay
nonta by the Teutons. and when
criticism ~ this course Sc heard in|
many quarters. ~ may not he amiss
io recall Just what Germany proposed
,o do II She had been victorious in the
world War
In this connection 81 may not be- our
~ place "a compare the French occu-
nation with the planned German seiz-
u,o Of an French coal and iron, all
/ HoigIan territory and more than ono
iuuartor ~ French territory this too.
not as temporary security. but Tor
iannexatl0n.
IN Octob-. 1914. Count Won Bernl
siorT. German ANITA =sadpr % the
United statee was quoted as making
lin n conversation among himself. on
! American banker and several berlin
ors. tho foi1owInE statements. whish
have never been officially denied, ms
20 what tho German government
would take from France ~ tho end ~
the vac.
"Ar tho colonies. Morocco entire. A.
goria and Tun's
CAT of France from 81 vslery. in a
straight line to Lyons CMore than n
Iquartcr OF France. with more than
li5oooo 600 lnhabi'an'el.
a commercial treaty permitting
.Gcrm9n goods 20 enter France duty
FREQ for twenty-five years without
rooirroolty.
Patent righ'e for German patents
without reciprocity for twcn'y-ave
years"
In 1915 tho German Charoeior. won
Tothmann- Hollweg. indicated hts gov
crnmonts acuuiesoenoe in tho claims
presented by two petitions. one from
tho Six AssoC .s lions" reTroeenflna
all fhe leading Orga nizat lions ~ manu-
facturers. merchants. aEricir-urfs,q
X peasants and middle class citizens, N,
other from "inte'iecfuaie." professors
4 echoolmasfers. students. clrrEyuen
o Judges. etc Among tho most I'M
y por'qnt points in thoso petitions wrri
O. tho following
For tho sake ~ orr own evision0
b. wo rnuet huthieaslv weaken France
20 this end we wust eoizo MI THO con
, and iron iord ~ France and AN th.
y territory of Belgium
The most important business under
:. t7klngs NJ an France must he trans
r. ffrrnd from an 'i-f;orran 20 German
'e ownership and such portion If N
j. population 80 IL taken over must p
~ allowed absolutely no influence IN IN
Empire
l. Germany must have sovereignt
!; not only over Belgium but tho Frenc'
coast from Dunkirk N BouloRne. an
g Tho possession ~ the Channel isla nd,
? She must also take no mines &
~ French Lorraine and create an Afr
can German empire bv annering Re-
pr glan and French ConEos. British ri
is geria. nahomey AMI ne French Yves
IS Coast
a- In fixing iudemnities tho actual "a
pacity ~ n state ~ tho moment shout
N not be considered"
NJ Essen. tho chief point IN commerci.
m Importance ~ tho territory occ-ipie
H by the French. Is about 80 miles fror
r. tIe Belgian border. In 1871 Tho Gel
w mans held more than one-haH ,
10 French territory. including Paris. ar
held 10 until fun payment of ir
~ IDENTITIES had been made.
Of Americans. accustomed 20 the IN
Of mense stretches en- our own Countr
x frequently fail 20 realize The SIMS
Pm territorial area Included in importar
he European events. The occupation
Essen requires an advance of on
op about eight miles from terrific
ch which has been IN Allied possession
IN wo years.