Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-20

| This accomplished he turned his at
tention to political problems and early
in 1925 began the negotiations that led
to Locarno. At single thrust he de-
molished all the stupid program Of the
Nationalist. which was based upon the
so-called Eastern Orientation," en-
visaging alliance with bolshevism and
an eventual war of revenge.
Sought French Reconciliation.
Starting from the sound thesis that
German recovery was impossible with
out French consent he set out to re-
move from the French mind the
haunting fears in respect of French Sc
curity. To do this he frankly faced the
fact that the sine qua non was the
acceptance of the loss of Alsace-Lor-
raine as final. Thus he offered that
Germany should recognize the western
frontier settlement as permanent. and
invited the British to guarantee as i'm
mutable both French and German
frontiers in the Rhineland as fixed by
the treaty of Versailles.
These proposals, which eliminated
in Locarno, at last reconciled the
French nation to German recovery. In
Britain the brief but brilliant ministry
of Ramsay Macdonald had cleared the
way for the Dawes plan. In France
the fall of Poineare and the coming of
BRAND witnessed the French desire for
peace and for an end of the fruitless
and dangerous prolongation of the
Ruhr. Five years of anarchy had pro-
duced new psychology and In Britain
and France this new psychology found
able opponents in Macdonald and
BRAND
After Locarno the progress was rapid.
Presently Germany was received at
Geneva as a great power. Automati-
cally she escaped from the situation of
a defeated and pariah nation. Almost
inSensibly the moral isolation ended
and Europe began to return to nor
malcy. In less than two years Strese-
mannS policy had abolished allied fear
Of German evasion of reparations and
French apprehension as to security.
Meantime within Germany finance and
industry had been re-established and
the rapid influx of foreign capital,
chiefly American, made possible the
restoration of considerable degree of
prosperity. At last the German people
were freed from the conviction that
they were not to be permitted to re-
cover. Hope replaced despair, the psy-
Geological transformation was even
more rapid and complete than the
economic.
Felt Need Of Republic.
The political consequence at home
was the consolidation of the republic.
From the start Stresemann, although
nominally monarchist, had recognized
that only republican Germany would
be permitted to recover; that only O
republican Germany could obtain such
blessings as the evacuation Of German
territory. France would only deal fairly
with republic, Britain and the United
States would only assist q democratic
regime.
Stresemann thus took his own party,
that of the business interests, over to
the side of the Republican groups and
for the moment restored a nominal Re-
publican majority. But on the other
hand he believed that German pros
perity would be best served If the
Nationalist, agreeing to postpone the
question Of regime, should join the
Moderate Republican parties in restrain
ing the economic radicalism of the
Social Democrats. Thus he labored
steadily, but with too little success, to
bring about government by the Con-
sentative elements, based upon an ac-
ceptance of the republic for all pres
emit time
That time might have given him
success even i'll this field of domestic
politics can hardly be doubted But
time was not allowed him and he dis
0PRSdAo db WIG nlOAllCAkb NklCU 1NdtAGIAd1~
ist stupidity Is showing fresh vitality.
Moreover, the supreme tragedy of his
death at this time is that he leaves no
successor in his party or, indeed, in
inner politics
A decisive majority Of the German
people are at one time Republican and
Conservative, peaceful but stand pat"
But no political party expresses this
majority sentiment. In the Republican
coalition the Social Democrats, who are
the largest element, are naturally radi-
cal. On the other side q majority of
the Nationalist. while conservative. are
also open monarchists. The value of
Stresemann lay in the fact that he
could restrain the extremists In either
camp, since his Peoples party held the
balance of power.
May Drift to Monarchy.
The danger now lies In the possibility
that those German elements that are
both peaceful and conservative will
drift to the Nationalist camp, feeling
themselves menaced by radical policies
of the Republicans and gradually, If
not Immediately, accept the Nationalist
thesis that a monarchial form of gov
eminent alone insures order at home
and protection against radical policies.
One may, perhaps, exaggerate the dan
ger, but 1t would be childish not to
perceive its reality.
Were any political change to come
rapidly the consequences would be
disastrous. The moment is critical be-
cause in the next weeks the German
RelchStag must ratify the Young plan
and evacuation of German soil is con-
tingent upon this ratification. But the
Nationalist have openly adopted @
program of rejecting the Young plan
and such rejection would wipe out all
the work of the past Summer and
bring back the Dawes plan to opera
ton: thus imposing upon Germany a
burden beyond her capacity. And In
such case France would no.; evacuate
and European restoration would be
paralyzed.
The chances are that none If these
disasters will occur. The advantages
of the Young plan and the desire to
see German soil evacuated will almost
surely insure majority for the Strese-
mann program in the Reichstag. But
for the future the prospect is less GER
tain. Republican Germany has pro-
duced but two able statesmen, Ebert,
who died in 1925 toward the close of
his term as President. and Stresemal. ;.
Ebert had no successor and none is
discoverable for Stresemann. II Ebert
was a republican by conviction and
Stresemann only for reasons of oppor-
believing that for Ell present time the
republic must endure, and its survival
is almost uniquely Que to these TWO
men.
AS I have said. it is possible 20
exaggerate the extent of the eianastar
incident to Stresemann's DEATH but Ct
the least it Is a calamity for the wrole
world, beginning with Germany. and
it does unquestionably raise doubts.
where certainty had seemed assured.
For Germany the prescription of saliva
ton still remains that Of Stresemann.