FRENCH PREMIER

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 June 1922, Page 5

FRENCH PREMIER

VISIT TO LONDON.

RESTORATION GRIEVANCES. j Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, June 17. M. Poincare, has arrived. 1 The Paris political press, while declar--3 ing political importance does not attach ■ to the visit, hopes M. Poincare talks with Mr Lloyd George on Monday will clear the air on the present Anglo-French misunderstandings. J LONDON, June 18. • M. Poincare speaking at a banquet . tendered by the British League of Nations ) of celebrating the defence of Ver- • dun, thanked the people of London for adopting Verdun. He said that France ; had already advanced nearly ninety thousand million francs on account of Germany for the restoration of the devastated provinces. It is, he said, surely contrary to reason and equity that France should be called to bear herself until now, the burden of the enormous expenses caused by German aggression and invasion, but since for the time being the injustice has not come to an end, France was all the more sensible “to the marks of sympathy you have given our countrymen, whose homes were destroyed by the war.” FRENCH PRESS" COMMENT. ■ PARIS, June 18. “Intransigeant” states that the British financiers appear to have close access to Mr Lloyd George, and are able to influence his policy. They are not disposed to recognise finances claims against Germany as incontestable, therefore it would be vain to hope that the coming interview betwee'n M. Poincare and Mr Lloyd George on Monday would bridge the gulf separating them. France remains attached to the Entente but before discussing a reduction of reparations, it is desirable for Germany to give proof of her goodwill to carry out the treaty obligations . This she has hitherto refused tc do, because she is encouraged in the refusal from outside.