The New Zealand Times. WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 1919. NEARING SETTLEMENT

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10279, 14 May 1919, Page 4

The New Zealand Times. WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 1919. NEARING SETTLEMENT

A great) flood of criticism has descended on Count Rantzau, the head of the German delegation in Paris. Most of it deals with the manner of his speech, while the matter of his reply is, so far as comment is concerned, practically unnoticed. But as the important thing is the matter, ire need not discuss the manner farther than wo have done. The most important part of the Count's answer lies in the two Notes he has addressed to the Entente representa-, tives.?. Of' these, one demands a modification of the -terms to the extent of making them tolerable; the other protests against acceptance by Germany of the Treaty which proposes the establishment of a League of Nations without indicating any method by which Germany may become a member of the League. Both Notes have been promptly answered. The reply to the first is the -uncompromising statement; that there can be no discussion of the terms. The reply to the second is that ample information on the method by which Germany can be admitted to the League of Nations is contained in the Treaty. The first of these replies was softened by a declaration of readiness to consider any practical suggestion the German delegates may make. Ostensibly, the Itantzau Notes thus, promptly turned down imply the alternative of withdrawal. The Count weak-, ened that implication by the admission —made in his speech—of the complete and absolute deteat of Germany. The refusal of the to yield more than a promise to consider practical suggestions, which is really an uncompromising refusal, has been followed by a loud protest from Berlin, the s.aonghold of Prussianism. Prince Lichnowsky's is the voice most notable in_ that protest, urging abandonment ov the Peace negotiations, with appeal on one side to the danger of German chaos, on the other to the Entente peoples to overthrow their Governments and insist on better terms for Germany. Next in importance and less thorough is the voice of the editor of tho "Vorwaerts, ' who laments that, though Germany is weaponless, she is still at war. This protest is more logical than the Prince's, for whereas the Prince admits that the dictated Peace may be accepted with a view to a war of revenge later on, the editor insists on absoluto refusal to sign anyhow, testing the situation to tho bitter end by challenging the Allies to take possession of all Germany. In all this, from tho first word of the Bantzau speech of the big spectacles to the last word of the editor's individual proclamation, one thing is evident: the Germans are trying to save face. Whether their intention is to continue the struggle in utter and hopeless desperation, or whether it is to sign presently after the failure of all protest, clamorous and otherwise, they have begun by saving face. The beginning suits either course equally. Which course is it to be? That is -the question. It is not less important than "To be or not to be?" Prussia is not Germany, and though Prussia ruled Germany, she never was Germany. We may add that one result of tho war made and lost by Prussia, must be that Prussia never will be Germany. This is the significance or the confinement of the bulk of the protesting clamour to Berlin. Of tho feeling of the Rhine populations Air Hilairo Belloc has written very illumiriatingly in some articles appearing in recent numbors of "Land and Water." Wherever ho has been in tho Rhine Valley he has found tlie population well disposed towards the troops of the armies of occupation, oven eager to please them . and do business with them. Everywhere he found impatience to get going again in the old pre-war ways, both of commerce^—in the commercial and industrial centres —and of tourist traffic, on wbiob. certain other centres depend for their living. As to the former, ho found ovidence on all sides of readiness to begin work, vast numbers of factories all in perfect order, agriculture in full swing in fields' untouched by war, mines ready to the last point. | whatever it may be, that stands lor

"the last gaiter button." He rotma cities like Frankfort, lying just outside the zone of iho occupied bridgeheads, crumbling a:;a asking to bo included. Ho f-.>und food conditions toleiuble, and a general expectation that tna (measures taken, by the Allies, and the [ cessation of the blockade, would shortj Iv clear away all difficulties and hardships in this respect. And everywhere the peoplo took every opportunity ot dissociating themselves from tho "few Prussians" who, they all united in declaring, had made the war, steeped •t in barbarism, and lost it. At the same time, nowhere did he seo anything but detestation of Bolsheviks and Spartacists and their works. The .Rhine population, the largest in Germany, ho found a comfortable, easy-going people, only anxious to make the best of a bad' situation, and thinking only of getting on again comfortably as ot old. Even Berlin reports that commercials are everywhere waiting with sample bags packed ready for the word to start.

[ If this i» a correct view, and All ißelloc is a very shrewd observer, and always ]ust, the Berlin protests, headed by Liohnowsky and the "Vorwaerts" man, have no echo in the Rhincland, where, on the contrary, the discomfiture of th* "few .Prussians.'" U Jtioi displeasing. This view depicts that population as ready to begin business as usual, with everything in perfect order for an immediate start. .Now. tno conditions on which the . supplies ot much-nee'ded food are being taken into Germany mean a start on a largo scale in trading with Germany. This enables us to believe without much difficulty that tho Berlin correspondent of the. "Daily News" is right in ins report that, in spite of the storms ot protest, tho Government and the Reichstag at Weimar will accept the Treaty. Tho horrors of the defeated Spartacist outbreak m Munich are not things to encourage the thought that, rather than accept the Treaty, all Germany will go over to Bolshevik chaos. Thou "few Prussiuns" may threaten a general acceptance ot chaos, but the general public ot Germany is laughing the pretence to scorn. The latest cables are that the Allies are confidently waiting for tho nest move of the Germans, and getting ready to go on with the business or dealing with tho Austrian situation, which is next on the programme. At the same time, nobody believes that the threat —implied by Rantzau's order to get ready for departure nt a moment's notice —of leaving Versailles without signin-; ■will be. carried out by the German delegates. These View. Prussians" are~always doing the wrong thing. But they will do the right thing at last. As they accepted the Armistice, so will they accept the Treaty.