Evening star., 1924-04-20

'SoHllnueu Irom First Page.
recent events have demonstrated
the extreme German apprehension
over apparent, if not real Anglo
french understanding. As they have
seen Macdonald making frank and
open efforts to reach an agreement
with Polncare, the Germans have been
driven to resort to all sorts of tricks.
such as the recent fraudulent device,
namely the manufacture of an al
Legged French CZechoslovakian treaty
Ever since the reparations experts be-
gan their work, the Germans have
been extremely nervous They sought
to make use of the fall of the franc
20 weaken the French will, and they
have not hesitated to fabricate docu-
n2entS to shake French reputation in
Great Britain.
Allied Agreement Vital.
Ii the report of the experts is &C
c"pt-d with no considerable modifi-
cations and no substantial lack of
unanimity, and if the British and the
French are disclosed as standing to-
gether and as being equally deter
mined to compel German compliance
then there are not few frank opti-
IniSts who believe Germany will sur
render and proceed to performance
BY contrast practically every one
HgTceS, that unless Britain and
France a-res agreed, there is not the
maikest- sRance to real, or even pre-
I@ndSd-German compliance.
But how far will England go in
lacking France" The question re
= aims all here Certainly the French
"an hereafter say. with justice, that
theSr aEe asking from Germany only
1tE SpRAs. which have been pronounced
T~sSensRF by an international group
90 9SsIf' rts q But ii the Germans re-
17si these terms, then there will be
l.E-sttfrsf' way TO bring about COM
7'its5l ego t1lan the renewal OF coercion.
rs Hd Will Macdonald consent, or even
'"rup-rete in the employment Of
I'rc.2s II he refuses. OF course. the
:t:2raement Of the experts becomes
q daad4saling, save as the French un-
o.ruaA fnio apply il.
Those who have believed that Ger
r'aRyd would undertake to pay the
costs OF reconstruction of the de~s.s-
tlted areas, provided that she we're
not asked to pay more than was
within the limits of possibility, are
low not impossibly going t. see their
r.leas tested, if they are right, then
ne prospects of European peace and
:cttiement are certainly greater than
II any moment since the publication
0f tho terms of the treaty of Yer
sailles.
settlement Rests on Good Faith.
By contrast, those who believe that
Germany has never had any inten-
ton of paying, that all her efforts
have been concentrated for five years
upon evasion, upon eluding consider
.tbfe' payments until such time as
she was strong enough to refuse,
them openly, and resist her creditors
by force of arms, will also have their
Nay in court. We are, all things con-
sidered, getting nearer. not perhaps,
10 IA settlement, but to d position
from which settlement could be
made, If good faith, German good
faith, existed.
Unless, however, at the end, the
British agree that there is q point
beyond which German resistance con-
Stitutes the real obstacles to the
peace of Europe and consents TO join
with France in applying pressure, it
is terribly hard to see how conditions
kill not come down presently to the
ZANE situation which existed just be-
care the French went into the Ruhr.
Of course. in the matter of pressure,
there is a wide margin OF possibility.
obviously there are economic, quite
as well as military measures, which
might be taken to compel German
compliance But it must be patent
that in some fashion force must be
applied.
Men like Benes believe that once
Germany sees Britain and France
united upon the terms which Ger
many must comply with. Germany
viii comply. There are Frenchmen. as
we'll as other Europeans OF import
ance. who hold to this view. But there
are Germans-and many of them
and at least certain number of
Erenchmen who believe that the
british will never. under any condi-
tion, consent to the use of force OF
any sort and that, as a consequence'
Germany will run no terrible risks in
resisting. for theSe Germans at least,
count on British intervention to re-
strain France.
Question of Security.
Meantime the discussions as to
French security are proceeding and II