GERMANY UNDER THE TREATY [To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.]
Sin,—In his courteous and tolerant review of my new book, which I highly appreciate, Sir Andrew McFadyean asks my authority for the statement that France " demanded that Germany should pay 600 million pounds a year for 42 years." I quoted from page 30 of Mr. Lloyd George's book, Reparations and War Debts, where he says that when opening the Paris Conference of January, 1921, the French Finance Minister went back to the Boulogne figures and " demanded that the German annuity should be assessed at 12,000,000,000 gold marks for 42 years." My critic also questions my conclusion that "unless the unexpected happens the population of France seems destined soon to reach the stabilization point, while the fecundity of the German nation continues but little impaired," In so writing I was not; of course, ignorant of the fact that the after-effects of a protracted course of starvation and the exercise of prudential restraints have temporarily reduced the German birth-rate greatly. On the other hand, I attribute great importance to the vigorous endeavours which are being made, to encourage marriage and large families, as by the Reichsbund der Kinderreindienst and other societies, taxation- alleviations, the cheapening of secondary education (the elementary schools are free), and passionate public' appeals to patriotism. Remembering the average German's respect for authority, his readiness to follow where he is led, and his susceptibility to mass suggestion, it is not difficult to believe (though I may be wrong) that as prosperity returns the in- fluences which now tend to depress the natality rate will largely disappear.—I am, Sir, &c.,
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