GERMANY'S WAR BILL.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 183, 4 August 1919, Page 5

GERMANY'S WAR BILL.

CANNOT PAY THE WHOLE. FIXING THE NET TOTAL. (By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.) ' PARIS, July 31 (delayed). M. Klotz, Frcnoh Minister of Finance, ] informed the Peace Committee of the < French Chamber of Deputies that the } total amount owing by Germany, including the cost of the war, was over one ] thousand milliards of francs (about f £40,000,000,000), implying, with 5 per | cent interest during 75 years, the liquidation of nearly two thousand milliards of ] francs (nearly £80,000,000,000). The _, Allies thought that Germany's resources ] were not sufficient to pay Buch an , amount, but they did not declare that ■( Germany was unable to pay the principal •( of the debt established by the peace ' treaty, representing pensions, allowances, , and reparations required by the Allies. It would have been dangerous to fix a net total owing to fluctuations in values. The figure, however, would be settled by May, 1921. Over 180,000 workers in Berlin are in receipt of out-of-work pay. Strikes are involving tens of thousands of workpeople daily. A serious shortage of coal is imminent. Whereas 90,000,000 tons are required for the carrying on of industries, only 10,000,000 tons are available. This ; is threatening the unemployment of a million Germans in the autumn.—(A. and N.Z. Cable.)