ABSTRACT
Although we have won the war, there are important men who suggest that we shall have to forgo part of the fruits of victory owing to the inability of Germany to pay. On the other hand, great men are not lacking who insist fi rmly and emphatically that Germany must and shall pay every penny. In dwelling on the alluring possibilities of indemnities, one would wish one’s imagination to carry one to giddy heights that are altogether incompatible with the contemptibly material aspect of “ability to pay.” Still, although only the privileged few may ignore the material when it stands in the way of the imaginary, in this matter the imaginary is something the public mean to have, at all events, as a mental feast. In this matter, therefore, the public may evade in its own way what only the privileged few may ignore. Why should the consideration of an indemnity be restricted to the “ability to pay” of Germany or any other fi nite nation? Let the conception be really a majestic one. Let us consider the possibilities of an indemnity from no less than the Devil. Supposing that we had gained a complete and fi nal victory over the Devil; that, in fact, we were in a position to exact from the Devil anything we-cared to name; and that our interests were in the hands of three such patriotic, astute and practical men as Monsieur Careopin, Senator Ledge and Sir Edison Carr. Imagine these three gentlemen in their gravest and fi rmest moods, little inclined to put up with any devilish attempts at trickery; imagine the Devil facing them across the peace table, subdued and apologetic, and, in his eagerness to placate, saying: “Gentlemen, I accept your terms in advance, no matter what they are. I will pay for reparations in full; I will pay your war bills in full; and I will pay for anything else you like in addition-nay, more, I will pay in gold, raw materials, goods or labour, or in any combination of either or all of them. Name your terms, Gentlemen, I accept them in advance.” Naturally, three such men as those representing us would be well prepared for such a situation, and they would not be likely to allow mere words and manners to infl uence them into anything like compassion towards such a customer as the Devil. Consequently, they would reply sternly:
“Mr. Devil, nothing that you can ever pay will be adequate reparation for our losses in men and material. Therefore, you shall pay what we like, as often as we like, and for as long as we like.” To which the Devil would reply: “Gentlemen, what you say is just. I accept.” Thereupon the Conference is adjourned for our delegates to communicate with their respective peoples and governments regarding the nature of the fi rst payments to be made.
