The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1929. THE RHINELAND.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 September 1929, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1929. THE RHINELAND.

■Not the least important of the results of The Hague Conference is that the process of the-final evacuation of the Rhineland is to begin within a week or two, and is to be completed, according to the statement made by Mr Arthur Hendorsun, chairman of the Political Commission, “within a fair ‘aid reasonabe time.” It is, perhaps, not going too far to suggest, says the Otago Times, that there will be a ‘widespread feeling of relief that the Governments concerned are finding it possible to put an end to a state of affairs which has presented an all tooconspicuqus reminder of the great conflict that ended eleven years ago. The military occupation of German territory has -been characterised as a standing of the existence of European peace only upon sufferance. It was, of course, a step for which the Treaty of--Versailles' made provision. It was neecssary that the Allied Powers should take strong measures to ensure that Germany carried out her treaty undertakings in respect both of disarmament and the payment of reparations. The occupation represented the guarantee that Germany would not default, and the fact that the position in respect of the occupation of' the tvhineland has been maintained for so long was largely due to the existence of a fear in France that the withdrawal of the Allied forces would he promptly followed by a repudiation on the part of Germany of her obligations. The Inter-Allied Commission of Control which was concerned with the supervision of German disarmament was withdrawn by the Powers in 1927, and since that time the Inter-Allied control of this question has been super- I

seded by an arrangement under which the Council of the League of Nations is empowered to institute investigations.' 1 Nbw ! that under the • Young Plan the ’matter of reparations has been placed on what, it is t> be, hopeu, may be regarded as a final basis/ any remaining obstacle to the complete Evacuation of German territory by French, Belgian, and British troops may be assumed to have disappeared. It will be recalled that there were three zones of occupation. The first of these was evacuated in 1926, somewhat later than the date stipulated in the Treaty, which provided further that the second zone should be evacuated in January, 1930, leaving it possible to postpone the evacuation or the third and last zone till 1935, should Germany not have completed the discharge of her obligations by that year. It has always been contended on behalf of Germany that she has complied with the terms of the Treaty in a. manner entitling her to be relieved of the occupation of her territory at a pinch earlier date. This question of the extent of the discharge by Germany of |her obligations has been a source of,. interminable discussion and disagreement. Great Britain it has been generally understood, has been : all along fiiyourable to a speed-, ingup of the process of the removal - of the forces of occupation. There is no reason that the retention of British troops in the Rhineland has latterly; been ini large measure a concession .to French sentiment. The Allied Powers have/had to recognise the expediency of continuing to act in concert in.siifch a matter. France may not trust bGermany, but it is hardly open for. her logically to plead any longer the need of a guarantee of security. In any case, the occupation of German territory by Allied troops could not'be maintained indefinitely, and the conditions that have now been created certainly appear fully to warrant the"-termination of a state / of affairs, which has become somewhat anomalous. The French have wished to obtain a quid pro quo for complete evacuation in the establishment of a Commission of Verification anu Conciliation in tne demilitarised zone. While this idea was not palatable to the Germans, it was apparently /not rejected by them off-hand so long as it was dear that this commission, 'if established, -.would-"in no event, remain in being after January, 1935, the final treaty .date for the evacuation of the third zone. There is no indication, however, of an- arrangement of this kind forming part of the agreement respecting evacuation that has been reached ay The Hague. Fortunately the British Government lias not been placed in the difficult position of having to decide what it would do if Franco insisted upon such a. delay in the '.evacuation of the Rhineland as might he-.regarded as unreasonable. The acceptance of the Young Plan and the agreement respecting evacuation could scarcely have been separated. Certainly Europe will present a more satisfactory picture when it will be no longer possible to point to the curious spectacle of Powers that are members of the League of Nations being in armed occupation of portion of the territory of a neighbouring Power that is also a member of the League