REPARATIONS

Evening Star, Issue 18050, 18 August 1922, Page 4

REPARATIONS

COMMISSION HOW SHUNS. CHANCES OF MORATORIUM. FRENCH HOPE OF REFUSAL. Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright. PARIS, August 16. The earlier excitement over the failure of the conference has calmed down, and the (situation is being more coolly consuggestion that Parliament should ■be summoned receives little support from the Press. ‘ Intransigcant ’ declares j “This will only dramatise tho failure.’ It is noteworthy that several newspapers are emphasising the fact that, though the conference resulted m divergent “views regarding the method of making Germany pay, there was no rupture between the Allies. . , . Some political circles are hoping that the Reparations Commission will reach a similar deadlock, in order to force a further conference, in November if possible, including representatives of the United States, when the whole problem of reparations and interallied debts could bo discussed and settled. The Reparations Commission will meet to-day. It holds the key to tho situation It is assumed here that the British_ and Italian Commissioners will vote in favor of a moratorium, and it is believed that everything lunges on Belgium’s vote. It Bel mum votes with France against Britain and° Italy it is certain that the president of tho Commission will give his casting vote against any moratorium.—A. and N.Z. Cable. FINANCIAL MAGNATES TRY INDEP’BNDEN'FfRENCH OVERTURES. LONDON, August 17. The ‘Daily News’s’ Berlin correspondent stales that influential French interests are proposing to the corresponding German interests that, in tho event ot the Entente breaking up,. Germany and France should settle their differences privately. , . . , Owinc, however, to tho expulsions trom Alsaco and the fact of tho present German ruin being ascribed to French intransmonco, tho Germans are not responding sympathetically. It is believed, also, that tho Gorman Government will bo equally unresponsive if the ixencli Government confirms tho financiers’ invitation.—A. and N.Z, Cable. “A NATION’S DEATHBED.” WIRTH’S TALE OF WOE. BERLIN, August 16. Herr Wirth, the .Chancellor, interviewed by foreign journalists, said . “Germany is steering full sail for conditions similar to those prevailing in Austria. It is absolutely impossible to keep Germany together when her currency is worthless/’ . , The Chancellor denied M. Poincares allegations that Germany had offered a loan of £4,000,000 to Czecho-Slovakm. There was not a word of truth in tho statement, and the further statement by M. Poincare that Germany had founded a bank in Denmark, Rumania, and Holland was equally untrue; Gorman financiers were interested in banking concerns in Holland merely to enable German trade to link up again with the outside world, as all tho Gorman banks in tho Allied countries were closed down. If Germany desired to depress lier currency by the sale of marks abroad she would scarcely attempt this through specially established banks. Hen.- Wirth proceeded ; “ The present inability to pay reparations in gold will quickly he followed by inability to pay in kind. Yesterday’s payment of £500,000 was taken from tho funds required to purchase foreign cereals for the people’s bread. It is like being at the deathbed of a nation. When one surveys tho situation it will be recognised that our great task in the next few months will ho to assure social order in Germany. Already there is a serious threat of unrest everywhere.”—A. and N.Z. Cable. “ RATTLING THE SABRE.” FRANCE'S EXPERIMENTS. PARIS, August 16. The military aviation authorities are carrying out an important experiment in night-flying and long-distance raiding. _ It is understood that a now bombing machine is being used, carrying sufficient fuel to fly eighteen hours at an average speed of ICO miles per hour. Thus machines from Paris could reach and bomb Warsaw without halting either way. —A. and N.Z. Cable. MR CLYNE’S REMEDY. CASE FOR THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS. LONDON, August 16. (Received August 18, at 8.55 a.m.) Mr Clynes, M.P., addressing a. conference oi the General Workers’ Union, said tho collapse of the latest International Conference was lamentable. Serious reparations conld only bo exacted in so far as Germany was prosperous and free from the threats of economic punishment and political disruption. England must not any longer support a policy spelling the economic ruin of Germany. Where the Supremo Council had failed the League of Nations, with Germany as a member, should bo called on to try new settlement plans. If tho league reached no agreement, America should be naked to arbitrate. y France had suffered greatly from the devastation of property, but Britain could not longer await redress from the dislocation of her trade and burden of unemployment. France’s prosperity would be made more secure by the other nations’ goodwill than by using or carrying out throats of force. —A. and N.Z. Cable. FRENCH CABINET’S DECISION. PARIS, August 16. Contrary to anticipation. Cabinet, after a mooting, announced its decision not to convoke the Senate or Chamber in consequence of the breakdown of the London Conference.—Reuter, GERMANY’S FLOATING DEBT. LONDON, August 16. Tho German floating debt increased by four and a-half milliard marks between August 1 and 10. It now amounts to 312 milliard marks.—Reuter. WILL BELGIUM BACK FRANCE? POINCARE’S ALLEGED PROGRAMME. FRONTIER FRICTION ALREADY. LONDON, August 17. (Received August 18, at 10.50 a.m.) ) Tch 1 Daily Mail’s ’Paris correspondent states that the next step in tho reparations discussions will be the meeting of the Reparations Commission, which will consider the moratorium. It is stated that M, Poincare has a definite assurance that Belgium will vote against a moratorium. In the improbable ca;e of Belgium voting against France, M. Dubois, the French representative on tho Commission, has been instructed to resign. A deadlock therefore appears most likely.

When the Reparations Commission has finished its discussion M. Poincare will disclose Franco's plans for independent action, which have boon approved by Cabinet. These are understood to include the seizure of all German taxes and revenue in the occupied territory held by French troops, and the sequestration of the Ruin. 1 coal mines and certain State forests.

.Meanwhile advices from Strasburg (Alsace) state that, as a reprisal against the Alsace, expulsions,, tfio German authorities

at Karlsruhe (Baden) have refused to vise 5,000 passports of Frenchmen wishing to visit Germany. Tho German banks are also refusing cheques sent from Alsace. — A. and N.Z. Cable.