Evening star., 1924-08-03
Ten Years After Beginning of World War
Europe Is Without Any Peace Assurance

land of Rumania, of the present territorial
status of Csechoslovakia and Greece. one may
accept it as automatic that changes will come
only as result of of the now
only remotely conceivable arrival of a new
s spirit among nations which will lead to mu-
tual concessions and thus to final peaceful
liquidation.
Wherein Lies Peril to Peace.
At the present moment, then, peril to peace
does not come directly and imm ediately from
territorial settlements of the postwar period,
nor from rivalries which have survived the
war and cast their shadows forward from the
past. which they dominated and cursed. No.
the single really vital and depressing evil
which overhangs Europe is the direct conse-
quence of the war itself. Were it not for the
sinister problem of reparatons Europe would
be able to enter upon period of reconstruc
tion and reorganization which, though
it led, like the similar period between Wa
terloo and Sebastopol. to eventual conflicts.
might insure half century of rest
1t is the question of reparations which has
bedeviled all else since the Paris peace
ference, where it gradually took shape the
outstanding danger for the future. The Ger
man invasion of Belgium had merely
brought ruin to the little state, galantly but
hopelessly resisting the German invasion, but
it had enabled the Germans to reach the in
dustrial area of northern France and. al
though the first battle of the Marne deprived
this invasion of all decisive character, the
advantage thus acquired by wanton disregard
of international law and common morality
enabled the Germans to maintain themselves
in France and Belgium for four years. to wage
war on French and Belgian SOIL and the con-
sequent devastation threatened and threatens
to make the war, not, indeed, a victory for
Germany. but disaster for both France and
Belgium which will be welnigh irreparabIe
should Germany escape the obligation of max
ing reparation.
Created Spirit Of Revenge.
In addition, the very character of the orig
inal German invasion. the crimes committed
by German soldiers under orders, the destruc-
tion of cities and the recourse to TERRIBLE
ness created spirit in France and in Bel
gium which could not be other than it is, but
stands as an obstacle to settlement and found
ultimate expression in the counter invasion of
the Ruhr, which. in turn. fired German re-
sentiment and passion giving to the original
transgressor the feeling. and. perhaps in part
the inexact appearance of the victim. Three
years ago it was incontestible that if one
could solve the reparations problem in such
fashion to relieve the burdens Of the ma
tons WHICH had been ravaged. European peace
would be assured. Today. after the new ac-
cess of bitterness resulting from the Ruhr,
is at least question for debate whether any
adjustment of reparations concevab BILE
could still the Passions aroused either side
of the Rhine.
Solution remains the outstanding problem,
because it still is open to question whether
solution is conceivable. Germany can pay
the costs of\the restoration Of French and
Belgian ruins; that is a fact established by
the. expert opinion which framed the Dawes
report. But Germany be made to pay
accepting the obvious and quite human fact
that Germany has desire to pay and no
moral sense of obligation? And have all ma
tions concerned the same interest in making
her? If not. then is not the conflict between
those who have need receive payments and
those who have need but concerned
entirely with the restoration of German pros
perity and markets bound to eternize itselfo