BRITISH GOVERNMENT PERTURBED

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 14, 17 January 1921, Page 7

BRITISH GOVERNMENT PERTURBED

STRIKING PRESS COMMENTS

DANGERS OF EXTREME POLICY.

LONDON, 15th. January. The Observer states that the British Government takes an extremely grave view of the French crisis.' The position has recently been better than for many months.. Tho Governments at Berlin, Paris, and London -were each disposed to settle the outstanding legacies of the Treaty of Versailles in a reasonable spirit. It is now feared that the vote of the Chamber of Deputies indicates thu stiffening of the French demands on Germany. It is no exaggeration to say that M. Poineare's sabotage has again imperilled the Entente. After quoting Mr. Lloyd George's interview with the London correspondent of the Petit Parisien last November, especially the referonce' to the necessity of investigating and estimating what Germany was able to pay and then fixing tho amount, the Observer says that France decided to act on this principle, but now on the eve of its realisation the Government has been defeated by extremists who are blind to the imminent dangers. The 'paper adds : "The British Government has requested the postponement of Wednesday's conference until the exact issue of the French crisis is known. Mr. Lloyd George is fully determined to point out that a return by France to an unbending insistence on the literal Treaty rights in tho interests of French financiers would gravely menace Europe and the Entente." [Jlr. Lloyd George, who was interviewed with the purpose of removing the unfavourable impression in France regarding Britain's attitude towards Germany, declared that Britain would staaid shoulder to shoulder with France in exacting reparations from Germany. The Premier stated * "The French must not think I have become their enemy because I pursue a business course. It is necessary to" investigate and .ascertain how ■much Germany can pay before fixing the amount."] " LONDON, 16th January. The Observer, in a later edition, states that M. Briand (who has formed a Cabinet) represents a policy of moderation and reasonableness.