GERMAN REPARATIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 306, 27 December 1922, Page 3

GERMAN REPARATIONS.

(To the Editor.) Sir,—The proposal of Mr. W. J. Napier in the "Star" of December 23rd that the Allies should take real estate in Germany and rent the farms, warehouses, etc., t# Germans would have a far-reaching effect, and in my opinion. would be a retrograde movement. So far as I am aware the British people have always respected the "private property" of the individuals of every nation with whom they may have been at war. The underlying principle seems to have been that the people should be allowed to be as "free" as they desire to be and "individualism" encouraged and the property of individuals protected. Mr. W. J. Napier recalls the terms formulated by Germans shortly before the great German drive of March, 1918, to be imposed upon Britain and her allies, and adds that the terms are taken from a semi-official publication. When Germany loosed her military hordes to conquer the world it was the intention to "force" all the other nations into slavery. To attain to that state of society it would be necessary to confiscate private property and rent the property to the conquered people. But it secma to mc that the proposal of Mr. W. J. 'Xapier would encourage the growth of Kaiserism. To adopt such a proposal would turn all future wars into wars of extermination. Considering the facts mentioned by Mr. W. J, Napier of what the Germans proposed to dp with Britain and her allies I am of opinion that we should not support France in confiscating private property in Germany in order that reparation payments can 'be made by Germany to France.—l am, etc., A. SANFORD.