GERMAN REPRESENTATION.

Northern Advocate, 1 December 1921, Page 4

GERMAN REPRESENTATION.

President Harding's proposal that Germany shal-l be invited to the Washington Conference before it brihgs its deliberations .to an end is very interesting. The objection that has been raised is that Germany might raise questions in regard to reparations • if she coula gain tho ears of the world's delegates at Washington, and might try to obtain their sanction to alterations of the condition? imposed under the Versailles Treaty. The question of reparations is, of course, quite outside the scope of the Conference. Germany's representation at Washington would, however, give the powers an opportunity of' bringing Germany to terms on economic and financial questions, The American Government has made it clear that it is not at all inclined to help Germany to evade her reparation obligations, and it is possible that at Washington Germany might be brought to perceive the wisdom of taking adequate steps to discharge these obligations. It is fairly certain that her present financial disorders involve at least an clement of stage management, and that she is well able to manufacture and export large quanti-

ties of goods which the Allied nations could accept in payment* of reparation without detriment to their own industries—particularly the classes of goods •suggested by the Federation of British Industries in its recent report on reparations. Since she is vitally interested both as a creditor and trading nation in the economic restoration of the world, it is to be assumed that America would occupy common ground with 'the Allies in dealing with Germany. It would .be easy, however, to expect too much of the present Washington Conference. * *