Manawatu Evening Standard. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1925. FRANCE AND GERMANY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 58, 7 February 1925, Page 4

Manawatu Evening Standard. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1925. FRANCE AND GERMANY.

j\r Ai'stkn Chamberlain has given the new German Chancellor the retort cuurteous—or should we say the re-p-oof valiant?—and it is to be hoped tiiat the reply is as just as it is dignili)d and severe. Referring to Dr. Luther's speech on the recent exchange o Notes regarding the ■ occupation of Cologne, Mr Chamberlain said: "I am not going to enter into a controversy conducted by that method, I am, content to take note of one sentence in the speech, that the German Government is absolutely determined to make good any fail- . ures to disarm."

I*ii is not quite clear from the cabled summary of the German Chancellor's remarks whether or not they deserved S'i severe a snub, but the general feelii .g will probably be that the stupid r Terence to Germany's responsibility f'ir the war demanded something s raighl; from the shoulder. "Internat onal conciliation," says the Chancellur, "is impossible if one nation is branded as a criminal to humanity, and the world is not convinced of the falsehood of this." If Germany would gi\-o up worrying about tho grievous Misunderstanding by everybody else of ler blameless past, and would get rid cf her evil reputation not by denying i; but by living it down, it would be for the benefit of all concerned and i ot least of Germany herself. She is simply standing in her own light by constantly harping upon this question vrhen the Allies are asking her to at--lend to business and pay a small part c f hor debts. In September the way iras cleared for the admission of Ger~ i nany to League of Nations by the (hanged attitude of France. Under 3'4. Poincaro France was prepared to laave the League if Germany was adi nitted, but she is now ready not mere\<f to admit Germany to membership I mt to give her a permanent seat on ihe Council of the League, like any nt her first-class Power. The withdrawal of the French opposition left i lermany no enemy but herself. She desired to make hor absolution from ear guilt a condition of her admission ,o the League, and having been told ,hat she would only get a snub for her >a:ins she decided to remain outside. One reason for this stupid performmce was that the Nationalists had >nly been induced to withdraw their jpposition to the London Agreement mil the Dawes Plan by the Governnent's promise to repudiate the responsibility for the war which Germany had acknowledged in the Treaty 3 f Versailles. The obligation which Dr. Mars was compelled to undertake has evidently devolved upon Dr. Luther, iiud hence the - assertion which Mr Chamberlain haa found it impossible Lo treat seriously or oven politely. But

there were other points in the German Chancellor's speech which Mr Chamberlain was unable to discuss. The Chancellor emphasised the need for a police force "capable of dealing promptly and adequately with the Communist danger," and declared that "it was absurd to talk of Germany rattling arms when she was without artillery, tanks or airmen, and when her fortresses were either razed or obsolete." It is presumably to M. Herriot that Dr. Marx refers when ho speaks of the talk about Germany "rattling arms." "France wishes to be tranquil." said M. Herriot in his startling speech in the Clumber of Deputies, "but she cannot when she hears the noise of arms around her." Tho slight difference in the phrasing may have arisen from the second version's reaching us through a German translation. But there is, of course, no need to discuss whether either of these metaphorical expressions is strictly accurate. Germany may be so far behind in artillery, tanks and airmen that sne could not go to war to-morrow or next month, or even for many months to come, but that is not the point. The point is whether or not she has been faithfully observing the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles. Jt may be assumed that on the matters mentioned by Dr. Luther she has complied with those provisions with sufficient fidelity to make it impossible for her to think of waging war for some time to come. But that does not mean that in other respects she is not hreaking the Treaty, or that her breaches have not been sufficiently serious to give just cause for alarm. On the contrary, Dr. Luther's specific denials on these particular points raise a strong presumption that on other points he is silent because denial is. impossible. This presumption is greatly strengthened by the very pointed language of M. Herriot :

"Germanv has succeeded in establishing a military police force alongside the local police. Is that loyal execution of the Treaty? lam more than ever attached to pacifism. My greatest desire is to see the creation of a United States in Europe; but there must not be alongside our democracy a military caste always dreaming of blood and death." The speech has startled and infuriated the Germans, and even in official circles at Berlin "profound disappointment is expressed at the aggressive words of a statesman hitherto regarded as an advocate of conciliation and peace." It is difficult to believe that without some solid ground not yet fully disclosed M. Herriot would have changed his tone in this striking fashion, and Mr Chamberlain's unwonted severity points in the same direction.