NORTHERN ADVOCATE DAILY. Registered for transmission through the post as a newspaper. WEDNESDAY, July 25, 1923. THE JUST CAUSE.

Northern Advocate, 25 July 1923, Page 4

NORTHERN ADVOCATE DAILY. Registered for transmission through the post as a newspaper. WEDNESDAY, July 25, 1923. THE JUST CAUSE.

The cablegrams continue«to preserve silence concerning the actions of the Allies in regard to Germany—a silence that may be clue to lack of news or may merely be discreet, but is certainly disappointing. The whole world is waiting for a definite move, for it is recogniscd that the unscttlcment in Europe js depressing the business of the whole world itnd menacing its peace. Britain has expressed w3int are admittedly sound views concerning the problem of reparations and the French occupation of the Ruhr; France has received the British representations wiith courtcsy ajid forbcaran.ce; Italy and Belgium apparently are willing to discuss the, problems in a reasonable spirit. If the United States Would lend her aid much goocl probably would be done. Britain, while disagreeing With the methods adopted ' by France, maintains the opinion that the French cause is just and fair.' Britain understands that tlie German objective is "the winning of the peace,'' and that Germany is endeavouring to sow discord among the Allies.' But while all the Allies stand for justice, disputes over details become wearisome. The directors of the German policy are, no doubt, fully -a-, via re of the possibility of exhausting the patience of the Allies, and are doing all they can to put obstacles in the way of united action. The late Mr Walter Page, the illustrious United States Ambassador to Great Britain during the war, warned the world in his great speech on the Pjlgrim Fathers at Plymouth in August, 1917, that after the war w;as over "they (the Germans)! will appeal, to the pity of ' the world that they set outto subdue." That, ho snid, would be their method of retreat, as soon as their arrogant power was beaten. His prophecy has bocn absolutely fulfilled. The Germans have been appealing over sincc the Armistice to a quality in hu- •

v ... which they • thewse! vcs in tho 1 diay of their strength treated with S»Corn; the national $K>n©U¥ of wh&h they are so boastf<fi4 feels itself touched by a na*tional whining and cringing dictated %y «dfcsfere to "work the blu®'''' ! <s>n *the wo-tld genernlly—a workl Mttdetnly responsive enough, wtesjnftt: '*i 'cyiiical Hrilclligeftee, to what at fd&lk ''''sob-stuff.*' ; When all this as said find admJt r tfe& 'there still rcmaisrs "4itiivyr3a}l 'dbtti&nd that *tho nagging c( Jafrol .between 'the chief pattines •stewll *to resfc. Those who say *1n& -ijs 1 • 'defeated 'Only ? by > FrtWc-h OWtlttsTCy 1 are mere partisans 'Swr -'it 'is 1 ''dtfterftcil quite as effectively "by 'CterMith Obstinacy. If "Franco has Istttefiy 'been selfish and a'ggresive, fhe 1 'Gwill an sat least have no moral right, to'Uijr'fho ill any case, the last 'Allife'd ''Conference practically "told 'France 'to 'go own -way -and get, what she coiild 'by her own methods. "Bdt mere exculpation 'Of France will m<H solve Hhe -riddle, ; aml the world; badly wants'to go back to peace. Some say 'th<tt France's action has- fired >the train of a new world war; that Germany is being provided with a casus belli for'the future. But. any remedy , which proceeds by way of demand for unconditional French retreat from "the Ruhr will defeat itsoli". If the object is to destroy the seeds of a new war, the creation in French breasts of a burning sense of injustice is certainly not the way to do s>">. If it is reparations we are after, what has Germany, though she 'has been brought to admit a debt, ever paid except under compulsion? If it is security of international peace that we seel;, what sign of remorse or regret for the aggression of 1914 has Germany yet shown? If it is |so easy for France to give way, by "being reasonable," is it not equally easy for the Germans? The dispute would not be settled by a withdrawal from the Ruhr alone; for in 1935—if not before—w<ould come up the matter of France's withdrawal (under the Treaty) from the Rh in eland, and this, [ at any rate, is plainly conditional upon payment by German}' of due instalments of reparations. The French are no more than logical and consistent in raising the main issue on the question of withdrawal from any part of German territory which they have occupied under the treaty's sanctions.