§ 4.0.P.M
§ The last time I had the opportunity of addressing the House upon this Treaty, its main outlines had been settled. I ventured then to call it a "stern, but a just Treaty." I adhere to that description. The terms are in many respects terrible terms to impose upon a country. Terrible were the deeds which it requites. Terrible were the consequences that were inflicted upon the world. Still more terrible would have been the consequences had they succeeded. What do these terms mean to Germany? Let us look at the matter quite frankly. In 1914 you had an Empire which possessed the greatest army in the world —the greatest army, probably, the world had ever seen. It had taken nearly two centuries to perfect. It was a perfect and a powerful striking machine. It was the terror of the world. You had only to visit France or any other country to realise how Europe trembled—it is no exaggeration to say so—how Europe trembled—at the tramp of this mighty machine. It rendered the word of Germany potent. It has now been reduced to the size of a force quite adequate to maintain the peace in Germany, but not equal to disturbing the peace of the feeblest of her neighbours, not even of Czecho-Slovakia. There was a navy, the second in the world. I have heard grave debates in this House which gave the impression that this navy might successfully challenge our own, the greatest Navy in the world, and might enable that terrible army to invade a land which had not been invaded for hundreds of years. That was not so many years ago. Where is it now? The colonies of Germany covered about 1,500,000 square miles. Stripped of the lot! Territories of the size and of the- wealth of, say, Scotland and Wales, torn from her side. They ought never to have been there. They were torn from her side, and their populations now form an integral part of other lands. Her Mercantile Marine is scattered. The ruler who for thirty years spoke for her pride and her majesty and her might—now a fugitive—is soon to be placed on his trial before the tribunals of lands which, on behalf of his country, he sought to intimidate.
§ They are terrible terms. Her war debt, which was no mean one, is more than 1214 doubled in order to pay reparation to those to whom she has done damage. I am not minimising the terms. If hon. Members want to exercise their imagination to realise what the terms mean, they have only to apply the terms to Great Britain, and they will begin to realise what they mean. There is no doubt that they are stern. Arc they just? Let us examine separately those which have been challenged.