The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1928. DR. MULLER’S REQUEST

Southland Times, Issue 20586, 10 September 1928, Page 6

The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1928. DR. MULLER’S REQUEST

Political strategy is enough to promote the renewal of Germany’s request that the Allies evacuate the Rhineland and retire behind the new frontier drawn by the Versailles Treaty, but France will not give her consent to this unless she obtains adequate guarantees that Germany will fulfil her undertakings under the treaty. Germany is just approaching the most difficult part of her reparations task, the payments under the Dawes Plan reaching their high point this year, and the possibility of her default lingers in the French mind as a legacy of the war distrust. Fortunately the tendency in France is to have more confidence in Germany and in the principal powers of the League of Nations, and there is every reason for believing that long before Germany has completed her task the Rhineland will be free, but he would be a bold man who would say that that time has arrived. It is fairly obvious that the Allies are satisfied with what the Germans have done in the shape of disarmament. Sensational reports of hidden munitions no longer appear at regular intervals, and the surveillance of the German military organization is not so keen and stiff-necked as it was a few years ago. There exists, too, a better understanding of the fact that whatever may be Germany’s aims she cannot possibly organize her war machine on the 1914-18 lines without the fact being known to the whole world. If she does contemplate warlike action she must make use of weapons which cannot be discovered easily, weapons which no military examiners and no occupation of strips of territory could nullify. With this new and more intelligent view of the general situation the possibilities of inducing the French to withdraw the occupation troops are brighter. Reference is made only to the French troops, because on the attitude of France alone depends Dr. Mueller’s chances of securing the concession he asks for. He may not expect to induce the French to accept his point of view, but if he can initiate a discussion among the Powers he will strengthen his hand in other ways, and certainly improve his position in Germany, where every government is tested by its capacity to induce the allies to grant rebates, diplomatic, financial or territorial. To-day the occupation of the Rhineland is only a little more than a formality, but the presence of the foreign soldiers is galling and serves to keep fresh on both sides of the frontier the memories of the war, which the people of other countries seem anxious to forget. Dr. Mueller may not succeed in his efforts to free the Rhineland, but the French Government must recognize that it cannot justify the occupation very much longer, in the face of the new public opinion.