Evening star., 1924-09-15
lnslstence of Berlin on War
Guilt Disclaimer Big
Obstacle to Aims.
STATESMEN SEE>LACK
OF TACT IN ATTITUDE
Admission Certain if Application
Is Made, Geneva Body
Members Say.
BY PAUL SCOTT MOWRER.

by Cable to The Star and Chicago Daily News
copyright, 1924
GENEVA, September 15.-A great
diplomatic effort to persuade Ger
many to enter the League of Nations
no" Is under way. 1t is understood
that Great Britain was given positive
assurances a few weeks ago of the
intention of the German government
to apply for membership.
The German government is more
or less officially represented here by
Count Kessler and Count Won Bern
storff, while many German journal
lists and politicians are eddying about
the league assembly. All league
members. including France, favor ad-
Germany, and it is taken for
granted that she would Immediately
council. However, the whole pro
gram has been temporarily blocked
by the insistence of the German gov
eminent that it shall first be absolved
from admission of war guilt to which
Germany subscribed in the treaty OF
Versailles.
Seen as Lack Of Tact.
Among statesmen gathered at Gene
va this insistence is generally con-
sldered merely as another example of
Germanys lack of tact in interna-
tional affairs. Nevertheless, much
valuable time has been lost and if it
proves necessary to submit the ques-
tion 10 the Reichstag before making
formal application for membership, it
seems improbable that admission can
be completed during the present ses-
sion of the assembly, for the Reichs-
tag is rot now sitting.
Yet SO confident are the league
delegates of Germanys ultimate de-
cision. that it is now proposed. in case
the German application ultimately ar
riyeS, to convene a special assembly
two or three months hence for the
purpose of admitting Germany and
thereby obtaining her immediate CO.
operation in the vast peace plans OF
the league.
The fundamental reason why Ger
many still is said to be near that
ultimate revision of the treaty of Yer
sailles would be rendered impossible
if Germany Joined the league. If the
question of war guilt was reopened.
revision of the treaty would be facili-
tated, for the entire Versailles peace
was based on the assumption that
Germany was responsible for causing
the war.
Intentions to Be Judged.
According. therefore, as Germany
applies or not, her future pacific in
tentionS will doubtless be judged.
Unless Germany actually contem-
plates a new war, membership in the
league offers Germany many advan-
tages. She would then participate in
disarmament and control of her own
territory.
She would be favorably situated to
urge extension of the present Silesian
economic regime beyond Is years, to
influence the Dantzig and Polish cor
ridor regimes, to insure the rights of
German minoritieS in other lanes, to
reopen the question of Austria join
ing Germany and the question of the
former German colonies and to urge
extension to other waterways of the
Observation-Disclosures enforced on Ger
man rivers by the peace treaty, to say
nothing of the presumption that Ger
manys economic influence in central
Europe would be increased by i'm
provement of her political relations.
One doubtful element in the situ-
alton is the attitude of the United
States. Some Germans declare the
German government has received un-
official adviceS that the American
Government would prefer that Ger
many should not joint the league, at
least not until after the American
elections.
Copyright, 1924, by Chicago Daily News CO..