HOW GERMANY MADE FRANCE PAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 72, 24 March 1923, Page 17

HOW GERMANY MADE FRANCE PAY.

LESSON OF IS7O-71. The Germans and their frnends are filling the air with piteous lamentations because the French have met their fraudulent default by putting in an execution, writes Mr. If. \V. Wilson in the "Daily Mail. -, What was their own conduct to France in IS7O-71, when, beaten down, s,|ie was making peace? Bismarck and Moltke played with her j as a cat plays with a mouse. Bismarck, j indeed, when Thiers made protestations against his exorbitant demands, threatened, out of sheer brutality, to make him talk German, which, as he well ; knew, Thiers did not understand. The conditions he imposed were of unparalleled severity. France was not only to hand over Alsace-Lorraine; she; was also to pay £200,000,000 in cash I (lit a time when Fiance had perhaps only a fiftieth of her present wealth). It is known from various sources that this amount and the form of payment were tixed by the Germans because they felt certain that France would be compelled to default. in that case, they I meant to remain in occupation of a- j thin] of France and slowly bleed their victim to death. There was no mercy. By the peace treaty France had to pay a lirst instalment of £20.000,000 thirty days after the French Government had re-estab-lished itself in Paris. When < lie treaty was signel that Government was in (he throes ~f a life-I und-death struggle with the Commune, and it was quite doubtful whether it would survive. Tame. as he saw ajrain-l the sky (he blue of the public buildings in Paris, set on lire by the Com- \ inunists. feared that civilisation itsflf was about to perish. H had always been suspected—indeed. : the French Government at that date was convinced— tjmi Hismarek and 1 he | German pcnerals «tcal(hily aided the Communis's, as l.udemlorlT in 1!>17 ' aided Lenin and Trotsky. The first instalment was tin , only one in the ca«- of which France a-ke'd (or time, because the ruin- of I'aris were -till sinokiiijr. It was refu-ed her. i Punctually to the minute, despite the 1 overwhelming d;ilirultfr-.. her Govern- j ment paid up. Kvery single other instal. mtnl was completed on c.r before the! date fixed by the peace term-, to (he. intense and growing chagrin of Bismarck, i When the French offered instalments j in advance of the date fixed, provided I French territory was evacuated. Bis-; marck told his 'agents that he did not j want to be paiil too quickly, but to hol<l French soil as lnnj.> as lie could. ITe did.all that was possible to cause delay: : hut. even, so./ylie, lji»t town in France — ! Verdun- was eviicniited six months be-! fore the date originally lived, because. every penny of the indemnity had been I paid by France. That was how Fiance 1 fulfilled her obligations '