PREMIERS CONFER

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLIII, Issue 9747, 13 December 1922, Page 5

PREMIERS CONFER

GERMAN REPARATION.

DEFINING, future policy.

(Per Press Association, Copyright.) ' LONDON, December 11. . It is reported in French circles that t,.. Germany will be granted a moratorium . till January 15. France will then ... oecupy the Ruhr as a condition. ' PARIS, December 11. _ ..: .Bitter disappointment is expressed . that the conference adjourned witn- . out reaching an agreement regarding v. cthe necessity for taking immediate ac- . tion against Germany, particularly regarding the seizure of Ruhr. _ .. The “Temps” says: “Action, ac- ; tion, and only action, is necessary to .- save Europe.” . BONAR LAW’S POLICY. CAUSING FRENCH SURPRISE.

LONDON, December 11. .. The “Daily Chronicle’s” Paris correspondent says: “Surprise is. expressed at Mr Bonar Law s attitu< ' Hitherto Mr Lloyd George was rc- - carded as France’s chief enemy Now, it is discovered that Mr Boanr Law s policy is indistinguishable from Mr ' Lloyd George’s. It is reported that Mr Bonar Law told M. Poincare over the week-end: ‘lf y° u believe it is in France’s interests to go to Ruhr, by Ml means go;. but -Britain will not accompany yon.’ The French Press re--calls the fact that Mr Lloyd George always said practically the same thing.” The “POeuvre,” contrasting M. Poincare’s promises! and performances, points out that many times more reparations were received during M. Briand’s regime than M. Poincare’s. Official circles realise that only a complete reversal of the French point of view can make an Allied agreement possible regarding the Ruhr. Before the conference, broke up, Signor Mussolini protested vigorously that if; Allied statesmen would display average courage and reasonableness, a general and immediate settlement would be possible, both regarding the reduction and cancellation of interAllied debts.

M. Poincare is reported to have stated that though Signor Mussolini’s proposal conceded, all the pledges demanded last August, those weio no longer sufficient for I ranee. * Signor Mussolini, interviewed, said: “The conference might have ended better, but,this is the first time that the question of debts and reparations has been considered together, leaving ' America out of the question. So we must be consent in the interval, until January 2. ..It will be useful, it will be imperative that a solution be reached then,, as the moratorium ex- - pires on January 15. The German ' Note has been found unsatisfactory. No one wanted R- Italy’s attitude re- , warding the occupation of the Ruhr, depends upon whether, in the interval, - -the Germans Afiow the slightest symp- - tom of paying-up.” ... Asked whether., Italy would side withi France if Germany showed bad faith, . Signor Mussolini- said: Wmt and ", S ee.” He-addqd-;:-that one could be as"K sured that tho Bnliour Note had been « wiped out.

ALLIED DEBT QUESTION.

THE POSmQN OE BRITAIN. BY, THE PREMIER. (Received This.. Day, 9.15 a.m.) ' LONDON, 12. sMr Bonar Law, Commons, -stated that owing to the conference of tjbe Allied Premiers j?ejng adjourned ‘ tab January, he was unable to refer to decisions wMch had- already been rtaken. There was, however, one subject, the question of European Allied Ldebts. As it may .be regarded to a .certain extent as a from rthe-t-previous policy, he thought i ■better to give the words heß. had used. iUe? said it would not be right that a should be fixed-..in such a way-jthat we only of all the.-countries ”1)6 yvirtually paying ,- an ? jodemnity. -Whatsldid seem fair' was. too consider -the whole amount tkqt. eoujd be obIttaiaed "from Germany 1 iapd say : As -you are not geting fill you -expected < b#r, we must reduce our claim. Me also added that if there vwas a chance -nf a complete settlement with -the praspect- of finality, we woffid .be willing :to run 'a certain ; in the 45*# ,of -not receiving from the Allies and 'Germany ag much ss vwe bane to -pay America, bttt.it would bo fooßsh toyiinake such a .-confession it the Whcffe f ,.question were -gpipg *¥> De reopened .egptin. GERMAN PRESS COMMENTr (Received This Day, 9.5 a.m.) f V BERLIN, December 12. The EtianeA organ, the “Deutsche,. ► Allgememe severely' critiI cises the Government for fading, to corailt teafeg industrialists before I sending the reparation proposals .to I London The (Government proposals I .were unacceptable and likely to leave I final solution .thornier than <ever. I The Government rcould have had the I help of industry for the asking and I industry would have striven to offer I gomething definite nnd concrete to the I creditor nations in -order to bring to I finality protracted negotiations and I conferences.

A GERMAN STATEMENT. DENIAL of a rumour. no THREAT NECESSARY. SETTLING THE VEXED QUESTION (Received This Day, 10.5 a.m.) .LONDON, December 11. t An authorise! German quarter in London, indignantly denied the French suggestion that the German Note was only evolved under pressure and a threat to occupy the Ruhr. On the contrary, the German Government would/ not have produced a plan if it believed the Allies thought such pressure necessary. Its production of rdan was evidence of Germany’s willingness to cooperate is any definite

solution ijpf - the reparations problem. The money, derived by German and external loans would be utilised no merely in the mark but in paying reparations. The only way o paying was tby loans, but Germany was unable to guarantee the issue of the proposed 'loan immediately. No foreign investor would invest if the Ruhr was {to ’lie occupied. Germany must be granted a considerable rest to. regain confidence. All the talk like Mussolini’s «of a great international loan was -nonsense Such a loan would be oilly possible whentbhe reparations question was completely solved.

FRENCH PRESS VIEWS.

(Received This Day, 9.30 a.m.) LONDON, December 12. •M. Poincare, M, Theunis, and Signor “Mussolini have departed for Paris. The “Petit Parisieri” says: “Though the conference results are negative, the future is in nowise -compromised. “Le Journal states that the new British Cabinet is disposed to consider inter-A'llied debts from a purely European standpoint. The Ba’lfonr Note has been scrapped.

THE AMERICAN POLICY.

ADJUSTMENT OF EUROPE’S -TROUBLES. (Received This Dav. 11.5 a.m.) WASHINGTON. Dec. 12. jt is stated authoritatively that White House declares that the American Government is trying to bring about an adjustment of the. European situation, but it is not believed wise to reveal at the present time what steps are being taken. The Treasury Department announced that the, Ameri-. can Foreign Debt Refunding Commission is prepared to negotiate for the refunding of Britain’s debt immediately Messrs Baldwin and Normas arrive.