WILL GERMANY KEEP FAITH ?

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 254, 22 July 1919, Page 4

WILL GERMANY KEEP FAITH ?

TACTICS TO ESCAPE JUSTICE AN AMERICAN WARNING (Bv Frank H. Siinonds in the London "Times.") Paris, May 21. Bernhardi was right when lie told his countrymen that "our next war ivill be for world power or downfall." Tliis is a fact which slowly, very slowly, is penetratine the German mind, and is revealed alike in German propaganda and Gorman official communications. Sincii the Peace Terms were delivered there has been unfolding a wonderful picture of the German mind. It is now perfectly clear that German nolicv had two divisions—there was the possibility of a military victory, held linnlv up to July 18 of last year, in which case the German terms were to be of tho stiffest, including huge territorial annexations and stupendous indemnities. In the second place, if the war wero not won. then through the skilful use of Mi*. Wilson and his Fourteen Points Gertniinv was to escape Ihe serious conscoueuces of defeat, and, having crippled British shipping and smashed French anil Helirioii industry, was to resume her old tilace in the world. To-dftv every German utterance iu'dit'.ares the enormous disillusionment in the matter of President Wilson. The Germans believed that he would savt them. Thev reaarded him ns an ally. Tliev were accordingly stunned when tnev rend the Terms of Peace, signed by Mr Wilson, which carried with thein a death sentence to all their hopes. For the first, time the German was seized ivith a fear that he might lose the war after all. ' The smallest examination _ of the German utterances since that time indicates that t.lm President of the United States lias become a centre of German denunciation. exactly as England was in the early davs of the war. Great Britain betrayed Germany. so the old propaganda ran, bv entering the war. The United States has betrnved Germany by co-operating with Ihe Allies in framing the present Treatv of Pcace. , The muss of the Germans still stubbornly refuse to believe that their Army was defeated. They announce openly that their Fleet was taken by a "dirty trick." Thev .insist that, having changed their Government so far as outward form is concerned, they can_ 110 longer be held responsible for the offendings of the past, and, parenthetically, they still insist in the main that thero was no offending. No regret for the war, no remorse for the crimes of the war, nothing approximating an understanding or appreciation of the Western point of view, has vet been revealed, except, in very proffered instances. Tn the meantime the German lino of defence Against the peaec terms is beginning to unfold. The German is going I to niato an effort to catch the so-called I Literal and Ifadic.al opinion of .the ! world. He is going particularly tn make i play with Mr. Wilson's Fourteen Points, 1 and he still believes that ho has a i chance Id separate America from the j other Allies and to persuade President | 'Wilson to advocato a modification of the I tcrmst.

The Financial Terms, The main German attack will be directed oeainst the financial sections of the Treaty, and especially against that section which provides that tho total bil lof Germany shall not be made up' until 1921. The German demands that hu shall know how much he is to pay at onco as the necessary antccwtatf condition to beginning business. Ho will insist, and is insisting, that the financial provisions amount to a prolongation of tho war indefinitely.. On the wi'ole this sociuf to be his main line of attack. As to the Saar settlement the German attack here is in fact designed to give the impression of a departure from President "Wilson's Fourteen Points rather than to make a serious resistance. Tho area nfleeted is so small, the amount of coal involved is so little necessary to German industry, that the whole Saar question 1 would be unimportant except that the Germans feels that it is a good ground on which to manoeuvre. As to Polish problems the German seems ready now to suri/ender Vwini: the East as ho has tacitly acccptedthe cession of Alsace-Lorraine m tho \\ ostbut tho loss of West Prussia and TJppei Silesia arc almost fatal bloats to li«ssia If the Germans reject this lreatj of Peace it will bo, on the * causo of the Polish provisions, together with ths paragraph about reparation:.. These remain vital issues. But it is well to understand in America that the debate in Germany now is over the cjuostion whether it will 1)0 profitable to sign and not perform, or merely nnt to sign. The German lias no intention of performing. He has anounced m advance that the Treaty of Peace bo for him another scrap of paper. He does not recognise, that the responsibility for the war is his. He does not. admit that tho war was lost on the battlefield. Ho is lmildinc: up an enormous national belief that Germany was tricked into signing an armistiw by. ffclso P 1 made by President Wilson, that, hnun„ In id down her arms; Germany lias b"»cliamefully betrayed and has no moral obligations to comply with the terms ot the Treaty of Peace.

Determined on Evasion, In sum, therefore,. tlio actual signing of the Treaty of Peace by Germany is of relatively less importance than v would seem. Whether he signs or not l-ho German -means to evade, lie means to continue lo compel the Allies to maintain armies in, Germany. He wi quibble and resist the application of every provision in tlio Treaty of Peace, and'he hopes that tho Allies will ultimately disintegrate bofore he line been forced to comply. • It is clear, then, as I have said so often in those dispatches, that we have riot reached a settlement in Europe. It is plain that no settlement with Germany was possible, because the German now' as at all times,' declined responsibility for the past and intends to avoid obligations in the future. t ity remains incomprehensible, his purpose menacing, his signature worthless. Past master at propaganda, free once more to resume the sort of campaign familiar to at Americans, the stme Ger11,ans who a year ago were outlining a pence of violence surpassing anything in modern history are now endeavouring to create public feutiment egainst the Allied Peace Terms in Allied countries by contrasting these terms with their own interpretation of President Wilson's Pourteen Points.

When they were victorious theso Gorntans frankiy affirmed their purpose to annex all of Northern France. Now that they are defeated they aro proclaiming to tiio whole world the hypocrisy of the Allies in such eases as the Snar Valley arrangement. Contemptuous of every purpose, of every consideration of humanity when it seemed to their interests, these Germans are now skilfully and artfully interpreting President Wilson's statements as if they had been a guarantee that Germany, by surrendering, might csecpo, not punishment, but the duty of reparation. This is the situation as it exists at the present time. This is the meaning of the German tactics. They can best be understood by remembering that the old gang is still in chargo in Germany, that they are animated by tho old spirit, and that they aro endeavouring to use principles to which they never subscribed to save them from payiug the costs of that war to whioh they universally consented, and in the responsibility for the excesses in which tlioy unhesitatingly 6hared. Herself unchanged, Germany is endeavouring onco more to use idealism, anil the liberalism of the nations phe attacked to savo hersslf and enable her to play the old gamo in the world again.