The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-09-19
The Rhineland and the U. S.
Europe slowly is coming to her senses.


From Geneva, where the League of Nations is
in session, comes word that before long arrange
ments may be expected whereby the allied troops
now occupying the valley Of the Rhine will evacu-
ate Germany and some definite PREPARATIONS settle
ment be announced.
This is the most cheerful news that has come out
of the old world in long time Nothing gals ma
ton so much as the prolonged presence of armed
forces of occupation. Nothing tends more to keep
wartime hatreds hot. Nothing does more to pre-
vent former enemies getting together.
According to the French foreign minister,
Aristide BRAND all hands have agreed in principle
to early evacuation of the Rhineland The details
have yet to be arranged, but commission OF ex-
perts will be put to work on those
Then, within a few months at most" BRAND has
announced. I'VE truthfully can say that the Euro
pean situation has been cleared up at last"
Preparations due the allied powers from Germany
are expected to play important part in the final
negotiations After the Franco Prussian war of
1s7O-71 the Prussians levied five billion franc in
demnity France and lodged an army of occupa-
ton in the country, to remain until the indemnity
paid.
Similarly under the treaty of Versailles, the allies
may occupy the Rhine valley until 1885, or even
longer in certain contingencies. and France is ex-
pected to obtain from Germany some sort of new
separations agreement compensation for an earlier
withdrawal
The attitude of the United States may prove
stumbling block to such arrangement Both France
sud great Britain insist they can't very we'll pay their
debts to unless Germany comes through quite
handsomely and more less permanently, with
juicy payments on reparations.
And Washington continues to insist that we have
nothing to do with either evacuation reparations
and that PREPARATIONS have nothing to do with what
the allies owe us.
Which, of course, is Realistically true Practically
however,, we are not so sure
Already Washington has changed its policy on this
same general subject at least twice Once govern
ment officials never tired of saying the United
States would make the allies pay to the last red
cent" yet not one has done anything of the kind.
To the contrary each and every settlement was
made on basis Of capacity to pay" and the debtor
nation left pretty much sole judge of its capacity
At another time it was the announced intention of
the United States to withdraw completely and forever
from Europe and let Europe settle her own affairs
in her own way.
Yet it through an officially designated
Dawes committee that the German reparations plan,
in operation and under discussion, was
evolved.
third change of mind would not be surprising.
And Why not? No sane observer thinks for one
moment that Europe will go on paying the United
States vast sums of money debts annually for
the next sxty-two years
Sooner later there is bound to be general re-
vision Of the whole matter IT, therefore, we can
hasten the final liquidation Of these postwar breeders
of bad blood between nations and peoples we should
do So
Even in dollars and cents we probably would be
way ahead of the game.