Evening star., 1925-03-03
ACTION ON COLOGNE.
ROUSES GERMANY.
A Classes Angered, Eut Give
Different Reasons for At
titude of Allies.
BY FRANK III. SIMoNDs.

BY FRANK III. SIMONDS.
BY Gable to The Star.
BERLIN. March 3.-Refusing abso-
iutely to take seriously the report Of
the allied disarmament commission,
the entire German public opinion in
slsts that the allied governments have
merely taken advantage of a techni-
cal excuse to prolong the occupation
of the Cologne zone. This prolonga-
tlon, too, has produced a feeling of
depression and of bitterness which
passes anything since the adoption
of the Dawes plan.
Three clearly defined interpreta-
tions are placed upon the action of
the allies. First and worst, all the
clements in the population which
continue to regard the whole allied
policy from the start as hypocritical
assert that there never was any in
tention on the part of the French to
quit the Rhine, and the decision to
stay now is no more than the full
fillment of a purpose always in the
French mind since the close of the
war, and indeed since the days of the
French revolution, when the French
frontiers were for a moment carried
to the Rhine.
They will stay" That is the judg-
ment of this considerable section of
the. German people.
Discord Among Allies.
A second more moderate and per-
haps on the whole more general view
is that the decision to stay discloses
the inability of the French and Brit
ish to come to any agreement in the
direction OF guarantees for France
and Belgium from Great Britain, and
therefore here is consent on the part
of the British to French or rather
allied occupation of the Cologne zone
pending interallied adjustment of the
security matter.
In both the first and second groups
there is a feeling that under the
British policy lies a desire to pre-
vent any Franco-German adjustment
which might enable Germany to
play the old balance of power game
on the continent. In the second
group there is profound disappoint-
ment.
disturbed by Cabinet
There is a third point of view, not
widely held, but interesting. that the
allies have been disturbed by the ar
rival Of the first German cabinet which
included Nationalist members, and, in
the European jargon, was mainly a
Right" or Conservative cabinet. 1t
is suggested that the Luther cabinet
seems reactionary abroad, and the
allies are unwilling to deal definitely
with it, and are waiting for the res
toration of power to Democratic
elements.
Officially and unofficially the Ger
mans seem ready to go a good way
in giving assurances to France. Bel
gium and Britain which would be a
recognition of existing frontiers in
the west and a pledge to submit all
later international disputes to ar
bitration.
On the other hand, the Germans
are today insistent upon the ending
of the system of military inspections.
are unwilling to consent to any per-
manently demilitariZed zone on Ger
man territory if there is not a similar
zone on allied territory. In the Same
sense the Germans are universally
indignant at the fashion in which
they have been notified of the de-
cision not to evacuate the Cologne
zone, and the severity of the lam
3
Lord Curzon and M Herriot- They
also resent the delay in serving them
with notice of the character of their
alleged failures to disarm.
Crisis Is Unlikely.
At the moment the state of Ger
man opinion is hardly such as to sug-
gest a. present crisis or any danger
to the Dawes plan. On the other
da1o ir, q r
ter, above all any temporary, de-
cision which might prolong the &C.
cupation indefinitely, might confirm
the views of the group which con-
tains all the old order, all the oppo-
nents Of fulfillment under the Dawes
plan and those who believe that it
is the intention Of the allies to pre-
vent German recovery and Of the
French to annex the left bank OF the
Rhine
My impression is that neither the
government nor most, of the Ger
mans who are we'll informed in for
eign affairs believes that there will
be any attempt at permanent occu-
patton or indefinite delay in retire
ment, but these seem alarmed at the
effects on domestic politics of great
ly prolonged postpon ement of settle
ment and the fxation of a date for
evacuation. The official view is that
when evacuation actually takes
place it will be easier for the gov
ernment to deal with future infringe
ments of the disarmament provisions
of the treaty because of public
sentfm entail support Of the civil gov
ernment against the military, which
would not be the case so long as the
public believed that the ole enemies
mean to stay on German soil to pre-
vent German recovery.
Eager for Settlement.
For what it is worth, my personal
impression Is that the Luther govern
ment is exceedingly anxious to reach
a settlement, to avoid seeming in the
least degree intransigeant, and hopes
for a chance at a new international
meeting to discuss the security ques-
ton, to show the same good sense
and moderation which the Marx gov
ernment displayed at the London con-
ference to settle the Dawes plan.
In the meantime German public
opinion is becoming restive, good
deal of optimism which followed the
London conference is disappearing
and those who forced German ac-
ceptance of the plan are being as
sailed as having deceived the Ger
man people as to the real purpose OF
the allies. / do not think the situa-
ton is in any degree critical now,
but if it is protracted for many
weeks or several months it may be-
CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENTS.