REPARATION BY GERMANY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17234, 9 August 1919, Page 10

REPARATION BY GERMANY.

THE OQiVHNiQN'S CLAIM, YEBY DOUBTFUL. • 1 ; A'Sf-|3EATI»S«3 , I -- |. ;,*■; ■Tp^CT<?TQß,..E ! Wasqr k .' I ; 'Spfshia'g ; -# the civic rocoptJaf- .to-day,' ' the %gw?> Minister, the Eight Sen,: W. F. rMg^y fc referred vn some-, detail to t,iie,. jlqnestion of indemnities,, He' said £aat< there was n&.ensh thjug as an indemnity, but Germany bad to pay reparation to ;'France and Belgium and.. *h 't&ft&a fas'" ' ships sunk or mined. r Nearly 17,000' Sew Zealand soldiers iest, ;' their "lives and something, lifeo 68rfKK> had been wounded. It was possible that the payments for pensions to men incapacitated and to dependants would amount to not less ' than £2,000.000 ' annually, j C&pitaliaed at an" ordinary rate of, interest* ' this meant £25,000,000. That was a j legitimate, ejahn, and one that was admitted by the treaty. personally, he did. no& think they would ever get half of it. "We have a claim a<g«ufet Germany, and we are going to press that claim,** said Mr. ' Massey-s .*♦ It Is lair and lagitkhase, and we are going to gas what we can.** A commission was to report in a year's i time as to the damage done by Germany, I and the amount she -&s.a able to pay. I There was provision that payment might !he in deoeßturea., bearinr interest at 5 per cent, and 1 per cent, sinking fund ; charges. There was an understanding that the minimum payment would bo £5 000 000.000, ahjf Q>* maximum pasrmenfc - MO.00O.Ols0,OCK) of Gil ,000.000,000, few much wouH come to. K<3w ' geared no man. couldMl at present. .. ; The Minister supported the Ifsagso of Stations, but ho did not think it would jwgveufc wars,, though' hi believed it would souks yiag lees frequent, .Tjhiy still !iad a duty to keep the &wph"e strong mi ' ,' united arid develop wast& territories. Inparticular they mast make their s>wn country strong and see thai all its wa*t-9 lands ' vrere developed and ussd. (Ap- ■ plause.)