The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-12-01

democracy, bad as it was. was one
thing. Here it was plain that Mars
and Big Business had become part
ners in big way.
Germans at war are no better and
no worse that other civilized
peoples. And in Lens, and through
out Northern France, where they
were the masters for four years
from 1914 to 1918-German Big
Business saw its chance and took it,.
Systematically, according to what
was described as a written plan
prepared by the Kaiser's captains Of
industry, the Kaiser's war captains
flooded mines, smashed machinery
and RACED great industrial plants of
all kinds.
No French Competition
When peace was declared there
would be no French competition for
many years. Not only would France
be unable to compete in foreign
markets, but even much of what
she consumed at home would have
to be brought in from the outside.
German industry would fall heir to
this trade.
1t was because of what happened
at Lens, and in the region there
abouts. that France, at the Paris
peace conference, demanded that the
Saar be turned over to her.
President Poincare, Marshal Foch
and many other Frenchmen wanted
more than the Saar. They wanted
the Rhineland. But more than
economic reasons lay behind this
demand. They wanted security
against the legions which twice,
within forty-five years, had in
vaded their soil. Foch insisted that
the Rhine be made Frances east
ern frontier.
Demanded Saar Outright
"Tiger" Clemenceau. Frances pre-
mier and chief spokesman at the
peace conference, did not go quite
that far. He found himself battling
ferociously against two sides at
once. Some of his own people de-
manded too much while some of the
others, as he saw it, did not want
to give him enough.
Clemenceau demanded the Saar
outright, in return for similar
French regions destroyed by the
Germans. Pounding the table about
which sat the Big Four-himself,
President Wilson, Lloyd George and
Signor Orlando-he denied any in
tention of annexing the Rhineland.
But the Saar, by rights, belonged to
France.
One day he pulled a gorgeous
bluff. He said 100000 Frenchmen of
voting age in the Saar had petit
toned President Poincare for an
nexasion to France. Even Lloyd
George smiled. For though he and
the other knew very little about the
Saar, they were aware that there
were probably not one-tenth that
many French people there all told
men, women and children.
Crisis and Compromise
For two or three days the atmos-
phere of Paris was hectic. re-
member hearing the startling rumor
at the Hotel Crillon. American head
quarters. the the President had or
dered the George Washington to
Brest to take him home.
The peace conference was about
to blow upl
AS suddenly as the crisis had
arisen, it blew over. A compromise
had been found.
AT in the afternoon of April 9,
1919. Tardieu. for France, Headlam
Morley, for Britain, and Professor
Charles H. Haskins. for America,
met in a room and started drafting
what was to become the constitu-
ton and charter for the strange
new state.
At 8 a. m. on April 10 the, job
was done. Before noon it was sub
mitted to the big four They made
one major change-this at British
and American insistence. Otherwise
it went into the treaty Of Versailles
pretty much as it stood. as Section
Of Part 5.
The Saar Mines Coded
In compliance with Clemenceau's
fierce demand Of mines for mines,
Article As (the first article under
Section - in part reads:
"As compensa ton for the deStruc-
ton of the coal mines in the north
of France Germany cedeS to
France in full and absolute posses
sion. with exclusive rights of ex-
ploitation, unencumbered and free
of all debts and charges of any kind.
the coal mines situated in the Saar
basin"
In Article 4e Germany re-
nounces, in favor Of the League of
Nations in the capacity of trustee. .
the territory Of the Saar for fifteen
years. Then the people viii decide
for themselves under which flag
they wish to live.
The one major change referred to
above had TO do with a provision
introduced by Tafdieu. 1t Stipu-
lated that Germany was to be given
six months in which to buy back
the mines. II she failed 10 DO so,
the territory was TO revert TO France,
even II the inhabitants had voted
for Germany.
This little play. however, was
promptly nailed. The Paris peace
delegates muffed many a ball, but
this one was caught before the
player got halfway 70 first base.
Next-Juggiing With dynamite.