The Daily News. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1920. TREATY EVASIONS BY GERMANY.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 February 1920, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1920. TREATY EVASIONS BY GERMANY.

The German conception of a treaty as being a scrap of paper is evidently deeply rooted. Having formally, signed the Treaty of Versailles, which imposed certain stringent obligations on the German authorities, the matter appears to be regarded much in the same light as when a man of a certain kind attaches his signature to a promissory note and then exclaims: '' Thank goodness, that's done with!" Practically the document is treated as an expedient to tide over a crisis, the implied obligations being ignored until pressure is applied, and then every conceivable device for evading performance is brought into use with consummate ingenuity. Germany has lost all sense of honor and morality, her trust being centred on intrigue and a masterly policy of evasion. At present her policy may well be summed as: "Do your utmost to com-

pel compliance -with the treaty, and see what happens"—the tactics of the bully who knows he is beaten, but keeps Tip the bluff. Germany is playing a game at which she is an expert. It commenced over the armistice terms, and is being continued over the peace terms. Coal is being withheld from France, to the great detriment of French industry; the interned ships at Scapa Flow were traitorously sunk; the armaments and material of the men-of-war to be delivered to the Allies were removed, and, when taxed with the fraud, the specious plea was raised that the material was removed under the disarmament clause in the treaty. An inspection by the Allied Naval Mission of the battleships at Wilhelmshaven revealed that they were in a deplorable condition, necessitating a firm warning by Admiral Charlton. A great 32,000-ton battleship, half constructed, which had been untouched for fourteen months, was rusting on the stocks, while other giants at Kiel were deserted, and stripped of their armor, being without guns and funnels. Yet the treaty provided that all ships of over 1000 tons under construction should be handed over. Apparently a crisis has now bepn reached over one of the most important conditions of the treaty—the surrender of the war criminals. About a month back a German Note was received again requesting the Allies to forego their demand for the surrender of war criminals, on the ground that the surrender of many of the officials would produce internal, economic and political difficulties, and stating that Germany was prepared herself to try the guilty persons, also suggesting that the Allies should appoint a German tribunal for the purpose. A more preposterous proposal it would be difficult to conceive, for while it may be good strategy to set a thief to catch a thief, it would be a grotesque farce to have a criminal tried for offences against a common enemy by his fellow criminals who applauded and gloried in his crimes. The jubilation of the German Press over Holland's refusal to extradite Wilhelm Hohenzollern, and the fulsome compliments paid to the authorities of that country for their defence of international law, are significant indications of the sort of trial that would be given to the high personages named in a recent cable as being on the list of "alleged criminals." For colossal impudence the proposal is unrivalled. Yet the Council of Ambassadors was unable to reach a decision thereon without consulting President Wilson. It seems incredible that an instant's consideration should have been given to the matter, but it is the business of Ambassadors to be diplomatic. The French newspaper Le Temps aptly sums up the position thus: "The Germans are-determined to elude successively every treaty stipulation safeguarding the reparations, pending a moment offering a chance to scrap the whole treaty.'' The theatrical resignation of Baron von Lersner (President of the German Delegation to Paris) on the ground that he would not accept the responsibility of transmitting the list of Germans wanted for trial, was part of the piece, but this action was soon counteracted by the Allied Ambassadors, making use of the telegraph to send the names direct to Berlin. The Allies have a stern and imperative duty to perform in the interests of civilisation in bringing these criminals to justice, and if they permit any clause in the treaty (more especially its chief moral clause) to be broken, the document may as well be scrapped entirely. It is stated they will firmly insist on the surrender of these criminals, and the German authorities may ignore the demand; then the crisis must be faced, and the terms made more and more oppressive until compliance is secured.