Evening star., 1925-03-22
ny FRANK H. SIMONDs.


inhabitants and the prospect
of the republic as disclosed by such
evidence as / could obtain in my
fairly wide range of conversations,
both with Germans and with Ameri-
can and British residents here. In
dealing with the appearance of the
people l emphasized the fact, which
is still more strongly impressed upon
me daily, that one has the feeling of
encountering people which has suf-
fered terribly and we'll nigh univer-
sally has only recently escaped from
gravest anxieties and is still reveal
ing many signs of the experience.
As to the future of the republic, l
sought to make clear that the best
opinions which were available agreed
on the probability that for five, and
perhaps ten, years the republic could
not be overthrown, even by those who
were it's most determined enemies,
because of the foreign complications
which would result At the same
time l indicated that even the oppo-
nents of the republic conceded that
within five years or ten the republic
might easily become so firmly esta b.
lished that it would survive, as did
the present French Republic
Republic Believed Strong.
The best thing said to me about
.
woman of the old monarchist circle,
who said. with utmost frankness: AT
least remember one thing-any one
who tells you anything positive about
the repub bile, as to Its lasting or as to
its falling, distrust him" If I were
a betting man and had to base my
wager on the comment which ! have
so far heard. l should incline to bet
on the republic. | would not suggest
that it would be a sure thing, but the
weight of opinion seems to favor its
ultimate survival, it unh itatingly
asserts it's present security, for up
ward of a decade.
Now, bearing these preliminary cir
cumstances in mind, what of the for
eign policy of Germany, what are the
aims and objectives of the men who
are directing and will direct German
affairs for some time? Once more it
is essential to emphasize the fact that
one is not dealing with a clear and
open situation. Exploring in Ger
many now is like travelling in a doubt
full state in presidential election to
report the probable outcome. 1t is
all A speculation. You can find any
thing here you came here to find, be-
cause every state of mind is repre-
sented. The supreme difficulty is to
find any way of assessing the COM
parative strength of the separate ele-
mentS.
Yet one must. think begin by the
realization that one Is dealing with a
people which is conscious to the ut
termost limit of lost war" Whether
the German people underwent greater
privations than the allied countries
during the struggle is a matter of
conjecture. For myself, I doubt 1t.
But certainly since the -armistice and
the signing of the treaty no allied
country has known anything remotely
compare BILE to the misery and moral
and physical turmoil of the Germans
during the period Of the Ruhr.
Disaster After the War
The war brought about the over
throw of the army and of the whole
system of national strength. which in
all German minds was impregnable.
The revolution, however incomplete
and restrained. did sweep away all
that was left of monarchy and of
nunarchs almost overnight, while
the circumstances of their going was
well nigh fatal to their future hopes
Then finally the imitation period de-
stroyed the money of the country and
reduced people suddenly to an incon-
Ceivable state of barter. The saw
ings of a lifetime uddenly became
valueless-the earnings of three
two stockings at one moment and
one stocking five minutes later.
There never was madder, more
fantaEtic, more incredible witches
dance than that through which Ger
many passed a year and half ago.
Was it the fault OF Germans them
selves? Perhaps. But the fact re-
mains that, without knowledge of
the cause or with false explanations
assigned, millions and millions of
Germans passed through this incredi-
bic period. 1t was for them the cul-
minating experience of the war, not
to be separated in their minds from
the war itself. Thus the war, which
Int the German pre-war conception
vas to end in three months, actually.
fhHthe strain and misery, lasted 10
Years. and first and last overturned
practically every foundation stone of
3ieir existence.
To-day the recovery Is beginning
lSecovery economic, political, moral
p4the sense Of a recovering of men,
ltal balance. And as this recovery be-
gins the outside world is patiently
asking with anxiety, will this mean
the return to the old Germany. OF the
Germany which to the allied minds is
synonymous with militarism and
var? Thus the main question one
1esrs on all sides in London, Paris,
and even in Washington, is Is Ger
many planning new war? Is the
var of revenge inevitable?
tia Extreme Views Are Held.
7 Now. If you want to find evidence
of4such a purpose, signs of such a
Germany, then it will not be difficult.
The Nationalist newspapers, the ex-
Tene organs, give plenty of disquiet-
SE signs. In a way. it is precisely
Al,HA rt& H.
many of my English friends on the
Liberal and Labor side pointed with
Horror to the Chauvinistic utterances
afs;newspapers like the Echo de Paris.
There is France for you," they said
with Indignation. But when I finally
came to France, what I found gen
orally was something quite different
something which revealed itself
speedily in the election of last Spring,
and for once quite satisfied my Eng
1ish friends.
Now, the sense / have of Germany
at the moment is decidedly not of a
country rushing determinedly and
unitedly toward a war of revenge
You cannot quite confront the evil
dences of past suffering, of present
anxiety, which are everywhere, and
feel that any people which has suf-
fered so manifestly will run to a new
struggle, which must mean a repeti-
tion of the recent agonies, with en-
thusiasm. If Germany had been the
one country, as many believed in
allied countries, as L myself tended to
believed, which escaped most lightly
from the conflict, got off with only
superf1cial scratches. then one might
expect one set of things.
But l have seen nothing in Germany
to suggest the feeling that Germany
escaped anything. You have on every