Mr. Frank Simonds, the well-known American journalist, who is now
in Paris, stated in last Saturday's Times that the American delegation was favourable to the claim of France for a secure Eastern frontier. Mr. Simonds predicted that France would receive the Sarre coalfields, nearly all of which were French territory up to 1814, in part payment for the enormous damage done by the Germans, of malice prepense, to the industrial and mining districts of Northern France. He said also that the German districts west of the Rhine, en in Allied occupation, would be treated as an independent State under a joint mandate until the occupation ceased with the discharge of Germany's liabilities. At the end of that time the Rhineland could decide for itself whether to remain independent or to join Germany. It is conceivable that the Rhinelanders would welcome the opportunity of freeing themselves from Prussia, who annexed them against their will a century ago, but could not prevent them from regretting the civilized rule of Napoleon's Prefects. In any case, such a solution would be perfectly just, and would relieve France from a very grave anxiety.
