German Payments the Loss of British Artisans From a Trade Union Correspondent.
It is reported in this morning's papers that M. Briand has said his "back is to the wall' and that he is determined to make Germany pay up. 2 The British working man, doffing his khaki two years ago, would have listened to Briand's statement with great approval. In those days making Germany pay," "Hanging the Kaiser," and "Punishing the Profiteers' were all sentiments which, expressed loudly enough and often enough, were sure cards to a seat in the House of Commons.
To-day, the word 'Reparations' at the top of a column of letterpress in the paper is all that is necessary to cause the worker to pass it over without a further glance. It takes the place to-day that '"Czecho-Slovakia" held _yesterday. Even when it is printed in the old way, Making the Hun Pay," it fails to excite any enthusiasm.
The British working-man sees that there is a "catch in it." He believes that all the other war promises have been broken because it didn't profit anyone to fulfil them. Those of him who read the "Weekly Despatch" have marked the attempt to picture the exisser as a deluded but not very wicked old gentleman, drawn into War the magnitude of which he couldn't foreseel That was the point of view of the English lady who wrote the articles, and who confessed to staying at Doorn with other English ladies and gentlemen and having quite a good time.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.