POINCARE'S PLANS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 194, 17 August 1922, Page 5

POINCARE'S PLANS.

ADHERENCE TO TREATY INSISTENCE ON RIGHTS. NO BREACH OF ENTENTE. (By faiilc—rress Association.—Copyright.) (Received U a.m.) LONDON, Auguat 16. Tin 1 "Daily Mail's" Paris correspondent - iy* that France's next move will bo the :-uinmoning of the Council of Ministers on Wednesday, when M. Poincare will unfold his plans. His reliably stated that these will insist on the use of all rights given to France by the Versailles Treaty. The feeling exists that there should be an early summoning of Parliament to ratify the decisions. \\ bile no attempt has been made to minimise the seriousness of the situation it is thought that a breakdown may bring the Allies together for a general discussion on debts and indemnities. France is ready to restart the negotiations at the point where they stood before the issue of Karl Balfour's note. yut'stioned on arrival M. Poincare. emphatically affirmed his desire to maintain the Entente. He said, '"We have disajrreed; to-morrow we can act separately, but there will be no breach of the Kntente. The friendship of the countries is far above the present difficulties however serious they may appear.—(United Service.) It is stated that Marshal Foeh and Gener.ll Degoutte have been summoned to Rambouillet in connection with the Cabinet meeting there.— (Reuter.) NOT LIKELY TO ACT ALONE. MATTER FOR COMMISSION. FRANCE IN A MINORITY. (Received 11."0 a.m.l LONDON, August IC. British official opinion does not believe that France will take independent action precipitately; there are legal difficulties under the Versailles Treaty, and M. Poincare i≤ a stickler for the letter or the law. Under the Treaty the matter reverts to the Reparations Commission, which has already indicated the trend of its opinion by publishing the text of its proposed resolution. As in the Allied Conference, when M. poincare was in a minority of one, so Reparations Commission France is in a minority. According to the Treaty the Commission is entitled to grant a moratorium on a bare majority, and only when it decides that Germany wilfully failed to meet its obligations can France recover complete freedom of action. Otherwise she would be violating the Versailles Treaty. Tt is considered most unlikely that the Reparations Commission would declare Germany in default, and for France to act without reference to the Commission would be indefensible. It is not thought therefore that she would do so. despite M. Poineare's reported statement that the Government would retain their liberty of action whatever the Reparations Commission or the Treaty procedure. Another element of hope lies in the optimism of M. Theunis, Premier of Belgium, who declares his conviction that the Allies will meet again soon ar-J the problem be settled satisfactorily. When M. Poinca.re arrived in Paris he received an unpreeedentedly enthusiastic welcome, crowds shouting "Thanks for France; down with the Boches; make them pay." A Cabinet meeting approved of M. Foincare's attitude at the London Conference, and declared itself at one with him in his stand.— (A. and N.Z. Cable.) It was officially stated on August 6 that the Reparations Commission by a majority of three to one recommended the Allies not to demand *e;«ai-ation payments from Germany unt' , *■<* end of the year. The Commission nir'Pti its recommendations on a communication from Sir John Bradbury, principal British representative on the Commission, and the existing financial state of Germany with tiie collapse of the mark. It also recommended that a monthly instalment of £500,000, as offered by Germany, he paid to the Commission, which will distribute it as it may determine. In the event of the Allies agreeing to this proposal the other cash pa3'ments in 1022 will be suspended. The Commission's resolution added that it did not consider it necessary to impose further conditions for continuation of the moratorium, but it will be necessary in the very near future to determine the payments that Germany shall make in 1923----1924. The Reparations Commission postponed an actual decision on the basis of this recommendation until after the London Conference. The "Paris Temps," referring to the resolution in an agitated leader, declared that if the British Government insisted on this plan it would gravely endanger the interests of French creditors, whom the Treaty of Versailles compels to pay to clearing offices amounts received from Germany in settlement of pre-war private debts and compensation claims. French creditors run the risk of entire dispossession. A SHOCK IN BERLIN. BITTERNESS AGAINST FRANCE. BERLIN, August Iβ. The breaking of the London Conference struck the Berlin Bourse like an electric' shock and resulted in stormy scenes, brokers making frantic efforts to obtain foreign currencies. The Government intimated to France and Britain to-day its willingness to pay £. r i00.f)00 on account of clearing house pnyments i as previously offered. The bitterness of public feeling against France is most intense. Herr yon Kahr, a former Premier of Bavaria, speaking at a representative German gathering in Munich, stigmatised France as the tormentor oppressor of Germany, and added: "Our sworn, enemy, armed to the teeth, is striving to increase and complete her armaments with money obtained from Germany for the restoration of her devastated regions. " This deplorable state of affairs will continue until Germany cherishes her honour, as Prussia did after 1800." Political and financial circles are depressed, hut it is hoped that the Reparation Commission may grant a moratorium. The Berlin newspapers vigorously refute M. Poincnre's assertion that Germany is stubbornly committing bankruptcy.—(A. and N."Z. and Keuter.)

AN IMPLACABLE ENEMY. LLOYD GEORGE CRITICISED. WHOLE DISCUSSION A SNARE. LONDON, August 16. ' The French Cabinet will hear M. Poineare's statement on Wednesday. An early special session of Parliament is expected. The "Figaro" says that France cannot longer disguise the fact that. Air. Lloyd Ueorge is now her implacable enemy. He coolly wrecked the conference to which he invited M. Poincare, after having decided in advance* to refuse all concessions. The whole discussion was a snare. Mr. Lloyd George and Germany were agreed upon the moratorium question. The same newspaper refuses to believe that Mr. Lloyd George, in placing th<f restoration of Germany in the forefront of the economic reconstruction of Kurope, really represents British sentiment. The Brussels newspaper "Le Soir" declares that England ranges herself with the nation that torpedoed the Lusitania, bombarded London, and devastated Belgium and Northern France against her allies. New catastrophes are to be feared. The newspaper attacks Mr. Lloyd George, and says that the betrayal of the Kntente cannot bring good fortune to any of the Allies.— (A. and N.Z. Cable.) MUST BE REDUCED. THE REPARATION PAYMENTS. LONDON, August Iβ. Sir Arthur Steel Maitland, who, with Sir Francis Bell and Sir James Allen, represented New Zealand at the League of Nations Assembly at Geneva, discussing in the "Evening Standard" the practicability of enforcing German reparations, maintains, as a result of his experience as Minister in Charge of the Department of Overseas Trade, that Germany can only pay for goods in paper marks, which are not acceptable j because they are not negotiable for gold. Tliis is impossible because gold reserves are hardly equal to one-hundredth part of Germany's liabilities to the Allies. The only alternative is that in goods, in which Germany competes with Britain in overseas and neutral markets. Germany must undercut, and she is undercutting Britain. Anti-dumping duties will prove unavailing because if they are effective Germany will be unable to pay. Therefore, it is inevitable that German reparations must be reduced quickly.—(A. and N.Z. CabJe.)