dent could read it as
statement of admission on Germany's part of _moral_ responsibility for
bringing about the war, while the Prime Minister could explain it as an
admission of _financial_ liability for the general costs of the war.
Article 232 continues: "The Allied and Associated Governments recognize
that the resources of Germany are not adequate, after taking into
account permanent diminutions of such resources which will result from
other provisions of the present Treaty, to make complete reparation for
all such loss and damage." The President could comfort himself that this
was no more than a statement of undoubted fact, and that to recognize
that Germany _cannot_ pay a certain claim does not imply that she is
_liable_ to pay the claim; but the Prime Minister could point out that
in the context it emphasizes to the reader the assumption of Germany's
theoretic liability asserted in the preceding Article. Article 232
proceeds: "The Allied and Associated Governments, however, require, and
Germany undertakes, that _she will make compensation for all damage done
to the civilian population of the Allied and Associated Powers and to
their property_ during the period of the belligerency of each as an
Allied or Associated Power against Germany _by such aggression by land,
by sea, and from the air_, and in general all damage as defined in Annex
I. hereto."[104] The words italicized being practically a quotation from
the pre-Armistice conditions, satisfied the scruples of the President,
while the addition of the words "and in general all damage as defined in
Annex I. hereto" gave the Prime Minister a chance in Annex I.

So far, however, all this is only a matter of words, of virtuosity in
draftsmanship, which does no one any harm, and which probably seemed
much more important at the time than it ever will again between now and
Judgment Day. For substance we must turn to Annex I.

A great part of Annex I. is in strict conformity with the pre-Armistice
conditions, or, at any rate, does not strain them beyond what is fairly
arguable. Paragraph 1 claims damage done for injury to the persons of
civilians, or, in the case of death, to their dependents, as a direct
consequence of acts of war; Paragraph 2, for acts of cruelty, violence,
or maltreatment on the part of the enemy towards civilian victims;
Paragraph 3, for enemy acts injurious to health or capacity to work or
to honor towards civilians in occupied or invaded territory;