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France). Freedom of trade may be abused by the stronger to the subjugation of the weaker, just as war can; the subjugation may even be worse and more demoralising. In that manner Austria-Hungary threatened Roumania and Serbia by a tariff war. Every country in the agricultural stage endeavours to become an industrial country and to be economically independent; industrialisation implies the growth of a railroad system and of means of communication in general, and that again presuppose a certain degree of scientific education of the nation, practical and theoretical. Every country will want to protect itself against exploitation. From this wider cultural standpoint we must consider the watchword of free trade and international commerce must be wisely and justly regulated for all nations by international agreement.
(9) The most difficult task of the Congress will be the just settlement of territorial questions. Owing to German aggressiveness and the Pangerman push towards the East the national questions are most acute in the East of Europe: Prussia, Austria-Hungary, the Balkans and Russia must be politically reorganised. The re-construction of the East is the primary aim of the war and of the Peace. In the West there are no acute disturbing national questions: the nations of the West have their states and well-established forms of government, they have their old civilisation—France and Belgium will have to rebuild their destroyed cities and villages, to repair their factories and fields, but in the East new states, new forms of governments must be created and the foundation of civilised life must be laid down.
The territorial readjustment of Eastern Europe will, as a rule, be carried out according to the principle of nationality; but in each case due regard must also be paid to present economic conditions, and to historical peculiarities. The great complexity of the national problem makes each concrete national question a distinct political problem of its own.
(10) Belgium must be completely restored; Germany must make compensation for the losses caused by its perfidious attack and occupation.
(11) The non-German nations of Prussia, Germany, must be liberated.
In the first place, Alsace-Lorraine; though the majority of the population is German, they desire to be united with France, or at least to break away from Germany. Alsace-Lorraine was annexed to Germany in 1871 against the will of the people, and has never become reconciled to the annexation; on that occasion the representatives of the Czech nation alone protested officially against this deed of violence. True, the German Socialists of these days had enough courage to protest also.
The Danes in Schleswig must be united with Denmark, the Poles in Prussian Silesia and in Posnania with Danzig must be united with their countrymen of Russia and Austria. Eastern Prussia will thus become a German enclave having direct connection with Prussia by the sea.
The Lusatians, should they so wish, may be joined to Bohemia, the Lithuanians of East Prussia (with a few Letts) would be attached to Lithuania. Czechs in Prussian Silesia will be exchanged for German territory of the Austrian Silesia. Prussia and Germany would in that way become unified nationally, something that the Pangermans themselves desire; that is no injury to the German nation, for it would merely compel the Germans to limit themselves to their own national resources, and give up exploiting non-German nations.
I have not the least doubt that the Pangermans will reject with the greatest indignation such a solution of the Prussian question—to free the Lusatians? To have within cannon shot of Berlin a free Slav territory? Yes—that would be a victory of justice and Nemesis: if the Allies win, a solution of the Prussian question in a democratic and truly national sense is possible and necessary.
The Germans will object to leaving Danzig to the Poles; they already proposed to give the Poles a free access to Danzig. The Polish population
