REPARATIONS.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19451, 26 October 1928, Page 11

REPARATIONS.

BRITAIN'S POSITION. MUST BE MADE CLEAR. OPINION OF LONDON PRESS. (BRITISH OFFICIAL WIItELESS.) RUGBY j October 24. The reaffirmation by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Winston Churchill, of Britain's maintenance of the principle underlying the Balfour Note on reparations is welcomed by the Press. It is emphasised that Britain has made he* maximum contribution to settle • war debts and reparations, having, in accordance with the terms of the Balfour Note, forgiven her foreign war debtors, who owed her £2,000,000,000, everything except what is needed to pay her American creditors for munitions and supplies bought from them during the war and expended in the common cause. ' No further contribution in the present circumstances is possj;ble. Tho "Daily Telegraph'' says that, although it was always inconceivable that any British Chancellor should fail to protect the British taxpayers against the imposition for the relief of taxpayers of other countries on further | taxes arising out of the war, Mr Churchill's statement is timely. _ The "Morning Post" thinks that it is well that, before the Conference is summoned for _ considering reparations, Britain's position should once again be made perfectly clear.

Germany's Task. The "Manchester Guardian" points out that the responsibility must rest with France and Germany for now raising the question of early reconsideration of the provisional Dawes Plan and replacing it by arrangements which, by fixing the total amount of Germany's debt and relieving the Allies of the onus of converting German marks into foreign currencies acceptable abroad, would, in Kir Parker Gilbert's words, give Germany a definite task to perform on her own responsibility, without foreign supervision. The "Guardian" recognises that, although the transfer of protection under the Dawes Plan was devised in Germany's own interests, it is naturally disliked in Germany. "The British interests in the matter appear, however, to be confined to seeing that revision of,the Dawes Plan is not carried through at our expense," it says. "If other countries press for revision, well and good. So far as we are concerned, we should be quite willing to leave matters as they are for the time being. The British position is that we have already cut our claims down to the minimum necessary to meet our obligations to America. There is nothing in the actual record _of events to suggest that the existing scale of payments imposed upon Germany hardships inconroatible with her satisfactory economic development." BRITAIN COMPETENT. LORD MELCHETT'S OPINION. (Received October 25th, 10.45 p.m.) NEW YORK, October 25. Lord Melchett, at a conference of the major industries, asserted that England had no desire to reopen thd debt question with tlie States> and asked America if she wishes to take no* part in the settlement of German reparations problems, "at least not to get in the wa?." He said: "Our difficulties m Europe are great enough, but We feel we are competent to \ deal with European 'problems. Whe&ever to, attempt is i made in Europe to come together we are always greeted with suspicion and hostility on the part of the people on this Side of the ocean, who attribute to us all kinds of motives which never ■enter our heads." —Australian Press Association, United Service.