The Daily News. FRIDAY, JULY 16, 1920, THE SPA CONFERENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 July 1920, Page 4

The Daily News. FRIDAY, JULY 16, 1920, THE SPA CONFERENCE.

That the Allies attended the Spa Conference with a firm determination to insist on the necessary steps being taken by Germany relative to disarmament has been fully proved by events. The tw) main questions for final decision were disarmament and reparations. The former was imperative, but the latter was a matter on which reasonable concessions were possible, provided prompt and effective measures were taken by Germany to carry out the Treaty obligations as to disarming. The extent of the menace of the German armed forces was admitted by General von Seckt, whose detailed note acknowledged that Germany had a million men tinder arms and three million additional rifles, which were difficult to get except by force, to employ which would be dangerous. Mr. Llsyd George's reply to that statement emphasised the danger of arms I<2ing in the hands of revolutionaries, and the impossibility of allowing the menace to continue. It would seem that having to submit to the dictation of the Allies is very bitter medicine to the Germans, but all the same, it has to be swallowed, and the German delegates to the conference were well advised to prevent a rupture and to adopt a conciliatory tone. There is no uncertainty about the decision arrived at by the Allies as to what immediate steps the German authorities must-take before the terms of the Treaty are modified. First of all the Einwohnedwehren and Sicherheitspolizei (Citizens' Guards and Security Police) must be disarmed. All arms held by civilians must be given up; compulsory military service abolished; all arms and military material beyond the quantity authorised by the Treaty to be delivered to the Allies for j destruction, and a strict performance of the Treaty provisions relative to aircraft and naval surrenders. When these commands have been obeyed, Germany will be granted extensions of time to reduce the Reichwehr (the regular army), to 100,000, the limit being

December 31. Germany will be ' permitted to keep a specified number of effectives in the neutral zone for assisting the collection of arms, but must stop all contraband traffic in arms to other parts of the country. In case of default in carrying out the prescribed conditions by January 1, the Allies occupy more German territory, and will only evacuate it when the conditions are wholly fulfilled. These stipulations were accepted, under oral protest, by the German delegates, and the Government must be bound thereby, whether the delegates exceeded their powers or not. When the question of the shortage in deliveries of coal by Germany was under discussion, the breach of •faith was so glaring that it could not be explained away. The French Premier (M. Millerand) gave a very forceful exposition of the situation, showing that although the stipulated amount of .thirty-nine million tons had been! reduced to twenty-one million tons a year, Germany had. on her own volition reduced the daily deliveries by ten thousand tons, on the pretext that an increased supply had been given to Poland, although Herr Bergmann had voiced the excuse that the shortjage was due to Rhine floods and industrial troubles, the actual fact j being that Germany was deliberately selling coal to Holland and ; Switzerland in defiance of the Re,- ; patriation Commission. Eventuj ally Herr Simons had to a,dmit j Sieve was no valid excuse for the i broach of faith, though he denied j the legal right of the Allies to im- | pose their decision—a mere value- ; iess quibble; all part of the piece. I Germany will only do what she is j forced. That has been her policy ! hitherto, and will probably continue, for she has found it pays, it is for the Allies, ir the light of past experience, to convince Germany that she has reached the end of W tether, and that farther contumacy will be at her peril-,. Additional emphasis is lent, to this course by Germany's deliberate neglect to take action against the war criminals. In this matter they wero given a test which few rational people ever expected would prove of service. Not a single arrest has been made so far. and it seems evident that if the guilty are to be punished—as they should be—the Allies will have to do the work. Compared with..ensuring the peace of Europe by means of effective disarmament of the Germans, these other matters are such as can wait. One cable message stated that the Germans were genuinely alarmed at the firmness of the Allies. They have good cause for alarm. The time for promises has passed, and the day of performance has arrived. The Allies have brought the un satisfactory position to a head, and should now suffer no further defiance or subterfuge. The Spa Conference should prove a new starting point, and the best inter ests of Germany will be promoted by carrying out to the letter her Treaty obligations.