The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, JANUARY 12, 1935. THE CHANGING VIEW

Hokitika Guardian, 12 January 1935, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, JANUARY 12, 1935. THE CHANGING VIEW

iiAHi.JKit reference to tin' possible revision u! tin! i'osce I reaty, m ouglil to

mincl tlic i..ct ui..t so many ol tne

a ntnois of Uu.t uoctui.enc nave passed away, i'ney were men who had pas.scd tnrmigli tup rigors of tile war

period. i ney Knew ir.,111 personal exijcrience all tliat the co..iiict eari'ied .11 its tivin. 'i hev had s'-'en and sultered many of it jS penalties, fcjo it came aDo.n. that tu-ay imposed on uermany the price oh defeat. In Britain a general election vva s fought on the slogan: “Germany must pay 1 ' and that feeling spread. But it was not long before dissension grow among the Alnes as to the ability of Germany to pay the demand. Actually Brauce and Britain fell out over the details. The politicians could not agree—France on the one fund demand the fullest toil to recover her losses; Britain on the oLher hand, for,seeing the economic effect of making Germany a bankrupt nation. .Meantime the German nation was drifting into revolution. Bor a. year nearly after the armistice, the blockade was maintained. and supplies continued short. The army had disbanded largely on its own initiative, ft was mainly the Allied Army of Ocvupatiou which held the peace lor the German people, who suffered intensely— individually and collectively. Out of it all a. new Germany lias ‘been reborn, and is oow in the making. Its republican trend is in direct contrast to monarchist Germany of old. That turn-over was due no doubt to a realisation of the Kaiser’s mal-adminisLration of the international issues, and a. desire to try some other form of Government in the hope of betterment. Down through the years, Germany has been in great travail—industrially, financially, politically. She has had her experience of unemployment and it is still a menace. Germany’s paper money became worthless and was abandoned—a total loss. In the political field there have been violent and extreme changes, till now a new order is being .enforced rather] than evolved. The war makers have all gone, and there is a new order. There is a different Germany to-day to Ijhat oT the pre-war or even peace days, ft is being remade, but there is not definite stability in the leadership. Authority is still lining maintained by usin r drastic poNvers. Mere Germany to lie in a more stable, and settled condition politically, its leaders might do much lo have the Versailles Treaty revised. But the uncertainty about the internal future /■l' Germany is the disturbing fact. There arc stories extant about aerial preparations wonderful pocket bat,tieships are being produced; the militant spirit is very much alive; t|'> boastful word is still to he heard. All this is more than disquieting to Franco and even Britain lias drooped hinf s about Germany’s aerial designs. The German nation is a virile one, and take much pleasure out of The host things I,n life. Whether they are IvankeHiig .after war again •remains to be seen. But more frank-

ness in the opposite direction would he of tjko greatest help to tiie nation, it would lie of great value to Germany now to win tiie confidence of its former foes, and a policy in that direction would complete the changing view" of the world at large.