The Evening Star THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 1919.

Evening Star, Issue 16991, 13 March 1919, Page 4

The Evening Star THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 1919.

| 'Aocobdeskj to a Paris message, the Allies now accept the American standpoint that Bolshevism in Germany can only be killed by food: The German people have long teen hovering dangerously near actual fctarvation, but to-day their need has become so pressing and desperate that unless the Allies seriously and promptly take the situation in hand, and make what provision they can for staving the panga of hanger which millions are now experiencing, there is very real danger of the German people, in their despair, throwing themselves into the arms of the Bolsheviks j and Bolshevism, says M. Oudendyk, the former Dutch Minister in Petrograd, -who has known Russia intimately for several years, “is the end of civilisation.” Such an ead--ing could neither be nor is contemplated with equanimity by those Powers who at present actively represent what is left of that Christian civilisation which was nt one time oar boast and our prida The spirit and the aim of the British .people are the samo now as they were when their Government Eft the gage which the Upiflai wi hie War Lor da inso-

How to Kill German Bolshevism.

lantly flung in the face of Christendom four and a-half years ago. Neither leaders nor people, in spite of foes without and traitors within, have wavered or faltered in their original determination, nor will they depart therefrom now that their enemies lie broken and helpless at their feet. They will carry through their resolve. But that resolve did not include the deliberate witholding of food supplies from the civilian populations of the Central Powers once they were convinced of their needs and of the impossibility of their ability to prepare for “the next war.” “We do not seek,” wrote Lord Hugh Cecil, in answer to that now forgotten statesman, Lord Lansdowne, “to destroy Germany; but we seek to force Germans to recognise that they have been defeated and to submit to the authority of a world stronger than they. Moloch must be humiliated in the eight of all his votaries if they arc to accept a purer faith.” Four months after the acceptance of the terms and conditions and the signing of the armistice for which Germany asked, has the G arm an Moloch been sufficiently humiliated and taught to comprehend the utter futility of its one-time attitude? Is Moloch from now on to be treated ns. an opponent who has fought and failed, if not as a foe whose word is his bend? For their present miserable plight the German people have none hut their leaders and themselves to thank, because they blindly and whole-heart-edly trusted their Government, accepted as the voice of God the voice of their own All-Highest ruler, and approved his course and conduct cf the war, no matter how inhumanly atrocious, as long as his acts and policy gave them victory, or what they thought was victory. Of warnings and admonitions, not from without, but from within, they had enough and to spare. As far back as January cf lad year the Socialist ‘ Vorwarts ‘ warned the ruling classes of what lay ahead of them : The movement affecting the masses of the German working people rests on deep moral grounds, and is due to the fear that they have been deceived. . - • They want the most necessary foods, they want peace, and they want a Germany free outwardly and inwardly, and where they come np against barriers the swell like that of a pent-up river overflows its banks. Any attempt to hold the people would be dangerous. Any idea of forcing on the people aims which prolong the war —aims for which it never fought—any idea of keeping from the people the)r promised rights, can only work as disintegrating factors. That is our greatest danger to-day. Germany, beware!

But even ‘ Vorwarts ’ forgot its own warnings when Ludendorffs successful break through on March 21 last year at St. Quentin startled the world and momentarily gave rise to serious anxiety among the Allies. It then talked of looking gratefully forward to certain German victory, because such victory would the quicker bring about that peace on German lines for which they waited. It was only when Germany and her people recognised beyond shadow' of doubt that such, a victory was not for them that they turned upon their fallen idol—not because- they hated his crimes, but that they hated him for not having used them more successfully—and abandoned him to bis fate and themselves to their own devices. Germany was not a horrified nor a repentant nation in November, 1318 ; she was merely chagrined and humiliated. She had played her cards wrongly, and would, try again later. Meantime slip world make the best bargain she could, leaving the rest to time and the inevitable Imbue of the Allies to agree drnoug themselves. Hence Dr Self’s piteous appeals to President Wilson and to the Po}K> “to prevent the German people from perishing of starvation and anarchy.” and to “save thousands of women and children from death by starvation.” Tire Allies four months back were not greatly moved bv these largely premature and wholly selfish appeals. They were then more concerned to relieve the more pressing necessities of Germany's countless victims. do them Dr Soil’s complaints were us the hysteria of the criminal who, when caught red-handed, cries for mercy on the ground that he has a wife and family dependent on him. Germany’s appeals were then based on false premises and presented by the wrong men. To-day tho case is different. The iron has entered deep into the son’s of the German people, who ore no longer a menace to the peace of the world ; they are merely human beings who must have food or become the instruments and victims of a more body-and-soul-de-etroying faith than that from which they have now been freed.