DOWN TO BEDROCK

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 29, 3 August 1923, Page 6

DOWN TO BEDROCK

Lord Curzon's statement as to the progress of Allied negotiations is not hopeful. The Freiich and Belgian replies to the British draft Note do not even mention the draft. The replies appear to hold no definite prospect of an early alteration of the situation or the commencement of a discussion! upon reparations. We may judge how bad the situation is from the j next step which the British Government proposes to take. An appeal to the judgment of the world is to be made, and for this purpose France and Belgium are being asked to consent to the publication of documents. If the replies had disclosed even the faintest prospect of ultimate Allied agreement, we may be certain that such a course would not have been advocated. Unofficial references to the replies suggested, before Lord Curzon spoke, that there was a prospect of such agreement. Japan and Italy refrained from comment in order not to prejudice negotia- j tions, and Belgium, it was said, couched her reply in such terms a^ to make further discussion possible. But Lord Curzon's state- : ™ent would appear to indicate that : the conciliatory tone of Belgium, if ; discernible at all, is not sufficiently marked to counter the irreconcilable attitude of France. So the | appeal to Caesar is to be niade. j AVhen it is made Irance will be required to justify herself beforel the world—or else pursue a lone course.