The Hawera Star. TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 1929. REPARATIONS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 13 August 1929, Page 4

The Hawera Star.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 1929. REPARATIONS.

Delivered everj ereniDg by 6 o’clock in Hawora Yariaia, Normanby. Okaiawa, EJtham. Mangatoki, Kaponja, Alton, Hurleyville. Patea. Waverley. Mokols. fflmiamßra. Ohauß'al. Marauders, Fraser Rond, and Ararata.

The Reparations Conference now in progress at The Hague has been the means of proving with striking force the ehaingos which may he wrought in a country’s policy, and even in its national outlook, by a change of Government. At present we are being provided, by medium of the cables, with a word picture of a British Labour Chancellor of the. Exchequer taking a very firm stand against Ithe diplomats of Europe, the while he is execrated by the foreign press as a. “person of no breeding”—and all England, as represented by its Press, Conservative. Liberal and Labour, stands behind him! As Chancellor -Mr"Phillip Bnowden has been as good as his word, expressed when he was merely a 1 member of the Opposition. Speaking in the, House of Commons .last April, from the Opposition benches, he said that if, when Labour wo.s. in office, the question of the revision of intor-AUied debts and agreements arose “we should consider ourselves to be free to enter these negotiations for revision without, (lie baiter of i lie Balfour Note tied around our necks." He contended that Britain had gone to the utmost limits in the 1 form of fiuancia.l sacrifice, and that ( the United- Stales had secured from

Allied countries better terms than had Britain. ‘‘And,” lie added, “if thrv

could afford to pay Aniericw they could •afford to pay us.’’ There followed what “The Times’’ described as “one of the most mot able debates of the session,’’ but Mr Snowden stood his ground, and later said that lie would not consent to any agreement that would bleed Britain white, financially. The opportunity .to inform the representatives of tho nations that the basis

[ of the Young Plan is nott acceptable has come, and Mr Snowden has not sought refuge in diplomatic terms. There was 1 something typically downright, in his [ j declaration that, while prepared to wipe the slate clean in regard to international debts and reparations, Britain would insist, “so long as reparations •arc being paid and so long as debts are payable,” upon being treated fairly in this matter. The Young Plan, of course, | is not binding upon ithe Powers reprej sented. It might have been so, but the } French Government refused to empower its delegates to commit it to accept any scheme for the settlement of these problems. The proposed division of payments received from Germany would reduce Britain’s share, but that is not the only, or, indeed, the most weighty, objection. The plan would wipe out jail previous agreements, and would ignore the fact that Britain has paid to the United States the sum of £200,000,000 in excess of the amounts received from the Allies. In effect, Britain would be asked to wipe off that amount, although the Balfour Note stated that the British Government would require .from the Allies or from Germany the amount necessary to meet her own obligations to the United States. That means, it is contended, that, if at some future stage the authorities at Washington were willing to reduce the sum required of Great Britain annually, the benefit would not bo reaped by the British taxpayer, for it would have to be passed on to the Allies in the form of reduced payments front them. England has cancelled many millions of debts owing to her in order that, economic stability may be reestablished more quickly throughout the world; at the same time she has met •her own obligations to America- unflinchingly, sotting the world an example of honourable discharge of responsibilities and generous treatment of her own debtors. It has remained for a. Labour Government to say that so far can her generosity be stretched, but no- further. There is no suggestion that England desires to tear up her agreements—ai charge made against Mr Snowden, in the House last April—but there is a. determination that she shall not toko upon herself fresh financial burdens for the B&ko of providing the other Powers with an easy solution of their debt problems.