REPARATIONS CRISIS

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 November 1923, Page 5

REPARATIONS CRISIS

M. POINCARE’S LATEST. BELGIAN BREAKAWAY. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association) PARIS, November 4. M. Poincare, in a speech at the laying of the foundation of a war memorial at Brive, spoke in regard to the suggested inquiry into Gerjuany s present capacity to pay. He emphasised that it is France’s determination to keep within the Treaty of Versailles. He also emphasised the desirability of, seeking for final- , ities beneath the rags and tatters with which the Reich was camoufiagir.g itself. Obviously, he said, before making payment, Germany must reform her finances, restore her currency and put herself in a position to raise a foreign loan. Whatever the decision of the German populations -in jegard to their political future, France would render , for ever , impossible any fresh German agiessioh on France.

France, he declared, had no idea of appropriating, directly or indirectly, any territory; but there was an argument that, if a group of the inhabit tants of Germany proclaimed their independence, a revision of the Treaty of Versailles would naturally follow. This argument appeared contrary to the principles and the rights, of nations. Whatever occurred within the Reich did not exempt the Allies from observing the treaty. ( . All the newspapers insist on the importance of the fact that Belgium has broken froip France, over, the offiQ ' ditions wh’ch M. Poincare seeks to attach to the invitation to the' United States io join in a reparations inquiry. They realise Belgium is willing to go to the utmost length to secure the United States’ assistance, which she regards as essential to a final solution of the reparations problem, though Belgium agrees that as a condition for reducing the total of the German debt, there must be a proportional reduction of the iriterAllied debt. The French critics reveal an anxiety lest France should be isolated, owing to M. Poincare’s diplomacy. CIVIL WAR PROSPECTS. LONDON, November 5. The “Daily Express’s” Brussels correspondent says :—Belgium ie ready to welcome the Rhineland Republic./ if the Rhinelanders themselves desire to break from Prussia. Belgium, however, considers the present movement is artificially fomented, by French militarists, who forced it into being to serve French militarist whims. The Berlin newspapers continue to point out the danger of civil war, and they indicate November 7 as the;d ate of a march upon Berlin by Hitler’s troops and the patriotic leagues' of Prussia, Pomerania, and Silesia. w The “Daily Telegraph’s’’ Berlin correspondent also says that civil war is very near. The Stresemann cabinet have convinced themselves ■ffia.t Chauvinist partisians intend to strike a blow at the Berlin Government, which has decided to oppose the Chau- f vinist advance, though loth to begin internecine strife. The “Daily Chronicle’s” Berlin,-cpr-re'spondent says: —The story of-the ex-Crown Prince’s proposed return .to Germany and the rumours of a march ! ’ of Bavarian freebooters upon Berlin, may be untrue, but they help w create the desired atmosphere. /R 1 the rats are now coming our of their holes into which they crept at the revolution in November 1918. Last evening, in a fashionable Berlin restaurant, the Prussian aristocracy met for a dinner, the' central figure being a Hohenzollen princeling. Chancellor Stresemann continues to govern with a rump cabinet, but German democracy has received a staggering blow. The Socialists have left,, yhe Cabinet. President Ebert may haye to abdicate. The prices for everything are fantastic. A Berlin trainfare is ten thousand million marks. Potatoes are two and a half thou-, sand million marks per pound. ' ' foreigners have fled, owing to the cost of living. ’