Evening star., 1925-10-04

scindment of the treaty restrictions
| concerning German aircraft. and,
| finally, a trumpet.tongued formal dis
| ciaimer by the German government
of German war-guit.
Obviously there could be no con-
| ference on such terms. so Hinden-
berg. who wanted the conference.
welded the big stick and cowed the
Nationalists into dropping their con-
| ditions. The acceptance. then, was
unconditional, but the several Ger
| man Ambassadors, when presenting
the written acceptance to the foreign
| offices, at London, Paris. Brussels
and Rome. each. in the name Of his
government. made an oral disclaimer
of German responsibility for the war.
Now what was the idea? Many are
asking whether Stresemann really eX-
pected the disclaimer to get by with
| out remark, and hoped in the sequel
| plausibly to interpret silence as ac-
| quiescence?
Others think that Stresemann had
no wicked intention of compromising
the allies. but was merely throwing
| a sop to the Nationalist Cerberus.
Whatever the idea, the disclaimer
did not get by without remark. Sharp
notes were soon on their way to Ber-
lin from London. Paris and Brussels.
sibility for the war is not raised by
the proposed pact" said the British
| note, land his majesty's government
are at A loss to know why the Ger
man government have thought 1t
proper to raise 1t at this moment.
His ma jesty's government are obliged
to observe that negotiation OF Sc.
cIlrity pact cannot modify the treaty
OF Versailles or alter their judgment
OF the past"
The French and Belgian notes OBJ
served to the same effect.
You see. the whole justification OF
exaction of reparations from Germa ny
is postulated on German guilt. as ar
| ticle 231 Of the treaty sets forth. The
allies cannot allow the soupcon OF a
| shadow of hint that they admit A
doubt Of German guilt TO gain cur
! rency.
A djinn of that sort must be kept
| in his bottle.
There is another element in the
brew. Tchitcherin. the Muscovite for
eign minister. has chosen this juncture
| of affairs to go on his travels.
He has been in Warsaw. where, for
| reasons too complicated for present
| notice, he was most enthusiastically
| received. and thence he went to Berlin
| for a little talk with Stresemann on
the eve OF LOcarnO. NOW cOnSum
nation Of the proposed security pact
| and entrance of Germany into the
eague would kill Tchicherin.
| That fabric of fond hopes. based
on the treaty of Rapallow. would melt
into air, into thin air One could
wish to know what stuff the willy
/ Tchicherin rounded into the ear of
! Stresemann.
| The conference of Lacarno open.
| tomorrow. and much hangs thereon
| The German Consolidated Railways
made whooping profit in August
considerably above the pre.war aver.
! age.
! Turkey.-Admiral Bristol. for seven
years past our high commissioner in
| Constantinople. Is home on leave. He
says that ratification by our Senate
| of the Turko- American treaty. signed
| in August. 1923, is desired by Ameri-
cans resident in Turkey. and he him.
| self recommends such ratification He
seems to think that the great process
| of Transformation from the old Turkey
/ of absolute monarchy to the new
! Turkey of the republic is proceeding
though slowly and with many mis-