The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-09-06
BY KARL RADEK

PAC0CAS AAACb III 6OA0OA Al
order to determine their attitude to
the Experts Report, and to decide up
on number or measures arising out
of it. There is not the least doubt that
this Conference marks a new stage in
the liquidation OF the relations OF
forces which found expression in the
treaty of Versailles. However much
France may cling to this treaty, no
matter how much the government of
the Left Bloc, with Herriot at its head,
may swear their loyalty to this me-
mortal to the victory of democracy
and pacifism, and no matter how Mr..
sailles peace must remain undis-
turbed, all these political manoeuvres
can in no way alter the important fact,
that the Peace of Versailles is being
buried, although unaceompanied by
any pomp and ceremony.
We said that what we have to deal
with is a new stage in the liquidation
of the treaty of Versailles. For the oc-
cupation of the Ruhr itself constituted
an attempt at such liquidation. The
only difference is that on the 18th jan
uary 1928 M. Poincare was endeavor-
ing to alter the treaty of Versailles in
favor of the French bourgeoisie, while
at the present time England and Anne
RIGA are undertaking this liquidation
to the disadvantage Of the French
bourgeoisie In order to understand
the entire change in the situation
which has taken place in the last
months, it is necessary to examine in
the first place what was the aim of
the French policy in occupying the
Ruhr.
One can observe three tendencies
in the postwar policy of France to-
wards Germany. The first tendency
is the efforts of the French militarists
to dismember defeated Germany.
From fear of Germany with its pre-
ponderating population, from fear that
German industry will revolutionize
war technics and be in a position, in
spite of the present defenceless con-
dition Of Germany, to supply better
means for war of revenge, from fear
that new groupings in international
politics will render it easier for Ger
many to appear as a military power
in the future, these military circles
were trying for the occupation of the
left bank of the Rhine, not only for
the time prescribed by the peace of
Versailles us years), but as a per-
manent guarantee of domination over
Germany. They attempted with the
help and support of the separatist
movement in Bavaria and Pfalz to
wrest from Germany the whole area
south of the Main. The second group
is the French petty bourgeoisie who
have lent the state one hundred mil
lard francs for the restoration OF
northern France and are endeavoring
to make Germany pay the interest on
this debt, and who are possessed by
the fear of collapse OF the franc and
Of further heavy taxation in the event
of Germany failing to pay. With this
petty bourgeoisie there are allied the
French deposit banks who negotiated
the state loans. The third group is
the heavy industry which is seeking
to impose an agreement upon German
heavy industry which will assure it
the preponderance in the Franco
German steel and coal trust and
secure it the supply OF German coke
and the export of French iron to Ger
many. AS this group did not reach its
aim by means Of negotiations with the
German industrialists it endeavored to
do so at the point Of the bayonet.
All these three tendencies existed
at the time of the peace negotiations
The claims Of the military group,