GERMANY'S DEFAULT

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 307, 28 December 1922, Page 3

GERMANY'S DEFAULT

IN REPARATIONS IN KIND. an important decision. Effect on the premiers' MEETING. (By Cable.—rrcss Association.—Copyright.) 2.30 p.tn.) v, LONDON', December 27. The "Daily Telegraph's -, Paris correspondent attaches importance to the decision by the Reparations Commission, Sir John Br.ndbury (Britain) alone dissenting, to declare Uermany a defaulter in respect to timber and telegraph poles or<V;red by France under the. agreement ior reparations in kind. The correspondent points out that the effect of the decision will be a notification of Germany's voluntary default to the Allied Powers, which, on the eve of the Premiers' meeting, will serve as a pretest if any other Power wiehes to take exception to Germany's action. The amount involved is only £80,000, but h. majority of the commission is seizing the opportunity to demonstrate Germany's determination not to par. The Paris "Temps,"' declaring that the German wealthy clr.;ses refused to contribute to reparations, points out that ■while the German tax on coal for the our- j lent financial year ought to have realised f6,000,000,000. only £850.000,000 was collected for the first seven months of the year, While the forced loan should have provided f50,000,000, it only brought in £200,000, and cannot possibly result in more than £5,000,000. The German Government is incapable of making pay those who ought to pay most. France I cannot, therefore, trust to anything but I realities. While these are being achieved ! she is forced to agree to the moratorium, I and can only eliooso between accepting ' rnin or pledges. France will, as a matter of fact, accept pledges.—(A. and N.Z.)