FOR EUROPE ONLY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 249, 20 October 1928, Page 9

FOR EUROPE ONLY.

REPARATIONS ISSUE

America Will Hold Aloof From

Powers' Meeting.

BANKERS MAT ATTEND.

(Australian and N.Z. Press Association.) (Received 10 a.m.) WASHINGTON, October 19. The United Press Association has learned from authoritative quarters that if the United States are represented at the forthcoming Reparations Conference it will be only through the attendance of American bankers in a private capacity.

Moreover, under no circumstances will the Government itself partake, even indirectly, in the projected six-Power discussions and will not stand commit|ted by any action taken by unofficial American delegates.

Officials further stated , that no requests from the European Powers concerned or from United States bankers regarding the American representation has yet reached the State Department. Until such request is received the Government's course of action definitely decided upon, there will be no formal announcement regarding the policy tc be pursued concerning the contemplated readjustment of the Dawes plan.

It is again made clear that the conference cannot deal with American war debt agreements, thereby tending to confine the discussions wholly to reparations, which the American Government considers a purely European question.

REDUCTION 'SCHEME.

POWERS CONFERRING.

[Australian Press Assn.—United Service.)

(Received 11 a.m.)

PARIS, October 19.

Mr. Winston Churchill, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, conferred for 70 minutes with M. Poincare and Mr. Parker Gilbert, Agent-General for Reparations.

A communique says that they discussed the constitution of a committee of experts foreshadowed in the recent Geneva discussions.

The Governments concerned will continue to exchange views. Mr. Gilbert has recently been considering schemes for the reduction of the reparations which Germany will voluntarily agree to pay. He visited London and conferred with Mr. Baldwin and Mr. Churchill, and later he made, visits to Rome and Berlin.

MR. GILBERT BUSY.

IMPORTANT DISCUSSIONS.

(British Official Wireless.) (Received 12 noon.)

RUGBY, October 19.

Newspapers attach considerable importance to a visit to London which Mr. Parker Gilbert, Agent-General for German reparation payments, has just concluded and during which he has had conversations with the Prime Minister, Mr. Winston Churchill, and officials of the Treasury and the Bank of England.

The agreement reached at Geneva on September 16 between Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium and Japan on the necessity for a complete settlement of the reparations problem and for the constitution for the purpose j of a committee of financial experts has raised a number of problems in regard to which Mr. Gilbert has found it necessary to consult the Governments chiefly concerned, and from London he proceeded to Paris and Berlin.

Before the proposed committee of experts can be formed and discussions proceeded with,'questions of principle have to be eradicated, and it is believed that Mr. Gilbert's London visit has been useful in this respect.

IMPORTANT LUNCHEON.

PIERPONT MORGAN ATTENDS

(Australian Press Assn.—United Service.)

(Received 1.30 p.m.)

PARIS, October 19.

Mr. J. Pierpont Morgan, the American financier, whose presence in Paris was not known outside a small circle until to-day, attended lunch at the British Embassy with Mr. Winston Churchill, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Mr. i Parker Gilbert, Agent-General for Reparations.

It is understood that M. Poincare, Mr. Churchill and Mr. Gilbert agreed that it was advisable to invite the United States to appoint a representative upon the reparations experts' committee. Mr. Gilbert strongly favours the early fixation of the commercialisation of the German debt, but the marketing of it depends primarily upon the United States. Mr. Morgan's presence at the luncheon is therefore significant.