CHAPTER V

THE LEGALITY OP THE CLAIM FOR PENSIONS

" The application of morals to international politics is more athing to be desired than a thing which has been in operation. Also,when I am made a participant in crime along with many millions ofother people, I more or less shrug my shoulders."—-Letter from afriendly critic to the author of Tlie Economic Consequences of thePeace.

We have seen in the preceding chapter that theclaim for Pensions and Allowances is nearly doublethat for Devastation, so that its inclusion in theAllies' demands nearly trebles the bill. It makes thedifference between a demand which can be met anda demand which cannot be met. Therefore it isimportant.

In The Economic Consequences of the Peace I gavereasons for the opinion that this claim was contraryto our engagements and an act of internationalimmorality. A good deal has been written about itsince then, but I cannot admit that my conclusionhas been seriously disputed. Most American writersaccept it; most French writers ignore it; and mostEnglish writers try to show, not that the balance of