AFTER VICTORY s n z,-1 sense in Mr. Hyamson's letter a restatement
of that major heresy which it was my intention in writing to you in the first place to refute, namely that for Germany's behaviour now we have to thank a too harsh peace treaty as well as too harsh a treatment later of the "good" Germany of Weimar. From one point of view at least—in its treatment of German unity—the treaty of Versailles was far too lenient. It did not attempt the break-up of Germany, even in part. It spurred Germany to thoughts of revenge and lett her all the requisite means of achieving it. As to the ' good " Germany of the Weimar period, the sooner we realise that it never existed the better. There is no good and bad Germany, only a strong and a weak, and Europe only has peace when the latter prevails. Moreover, it is not a question of detaching the German people from their Government merely. That would be a step of no more than momentary value, tor the real trouble lies in those peoples themselves; for which reason I would regard it as being the very height of tmwisdnni "to let them know at once that after the war we should leave. it -0 them" to decide whether they should remain a united Reich or not. We know (or if we don't we ought to) only too well which way that decision would fall.—!
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