NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE Germans have once again entirely misunderstood us. Their ability for miscalculating a political situation seems to be very deep-rooted, and it may be ineradicable. The one hope for Germany was to conciliate the Allies by being reasonable and by encouraging the tendency of the British public, which has been plain enough of late, not to make the situation impossible for the existing German Government. Common sense ought to have told Dr. Simons that his attitude must be determined as much by political considerations as by anything else. Englishmen and Frenchmen have their difficulties just as much as Germany has hers. The indemnity question is by no means a mere financial problem in a vacuum. In these circumstances Dr. Simons astonished the Conference by deciding to defy the Allies. All the predictions about his more or less accommodating intentions were violently dis- proved. When we write on Thursday morning we do not know what the outcome will be. The military authorities are already discussing the compulsion which may have to be applied to Germany. Of course it may happen that just as Dr. Simons astonished the Conference by his first absurd proposal, so he may astonish it again by an access of sense.
