MUST FACE FACTS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 10850, 16 March 1921, Page 5

MUST FACE FACTS

THE REPARATIONS BILL REJECTION MOVED JN HOUSE OF COMMON'SPREMIER IN REPLY. By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright LONDON. Mrrch 1!. He Chancellor of the i- .\- !> ■;>:< v.-fr Austen Chamberlain i, i:i.-,\ mg mo second reading of the (,<■ i: v :'.ition Recovery Bill, sni-l :• .o of the Germans ap;it*nc <; m mai as soon as they were simn" • m-'mli t:vv would regard the Vvrsai’U - i:.:;ty a scrap of paper, and tear it up. .Vs long as that was the Germans’ attitude it would be impossible :o ; - t'.Vibes to come to an agreement with ibe;n. It would be follv to pretend that the proposed penalties could be i..e- < without some disturbance or the Al'i-s* trade. The House must face iacts Either they \» anted reparation rnii must exact it, or they did not care for reparation at all. air Bottomley moved the rejection of the bill on the ground that it did not go far enough. It was economically unsound, politically mischievous, anc commercially impracticable. Sir Robert Horne (President of the Board of Trade), replying to a question, said that the imports to Britain from Germany last year totalled £31,013,000, and exports to GeAiany £21,545,000, and the exports of foreign and colonial merchandise to Germany £29,153,000PAPER AGREEMENT FUTILE (Received March 15, 5.5 p.m.> LONDON, March 14. Mr Asquith re-echoed Mr Chamberlain’s statement that there was absolutely no difference of opinion in the House of Commons or outside regarding the justice of the claim made against Germany. The question was purely one of practicability and expediency, but we must he careful not to exact payment in a form injurious to ourselves. The German exporter might be able to wriggle out of tne imposition of a tax bv raising the price of goods. The question of origin also presented a difficulty. He had the greatest misgiving whether so complicated machinery would bo found worth while. Captain Wedgwood Benn considered that instead of swamping Britain with cheap German goods the Allies should seize German ground rents and royalties on coal mines and the Kiel Canal. Mr Lloyd George ridiculed Air Bottomley’s and Captain Benn’s proposals, which would involve the maintenance of the army of occupation throughout Germany. Even if we remained in Berlin till Germany accepted we would come back to a’paper agreement which was perfectly futile. Did Air Bottomley imagine that we could march into Germany and bring back mines and forests on lorries? (La ugh tot.) If Germany declined to honour our Treasury receipt bill it would have the effect of automatically excluding goods which the Allies did not really need. Great industrial concerns in Germany were making hnge profits out of the difference between the price at which they could produce and sell in the market. BILL READ A SECOND TIME. (Received Alarch 15. 5.4-5 p.m.) LONDON, Alarch 15. The Reparations Bill was read a sec ond time without division. RETALIATION ORGANISING A LOCK-OUT IN OCCUPIED TOWNS. PARIS, March 14. The ‘fPetit Parisien’s” correspondent at Dusseldorff states t-hat- Herr .Stinnes and a number of manufacturers are organising a lock-out in the occupied towns with the view to stopping production. COLLECTION OF CUSTOMS REQUEST FOR AAIERICAN COOPERATION. (Received Alarch 15. 8.45 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Alarch 14. The War Department states that, the commander of the American Rhine forces has forwarded a request from the inter-Allied Rhineland Commission for co-operation of the American forces in Customs collections along the Rhine. A cable message from Washington, published on Alonday, stated: —Air J. W. Weeks (Secretary for War) announces that the commander of the American forces in Germany will abide by the Allies’ Rhineland Commission's decisions in the collection of Customs duties along the Rhine. SELF-DEFENCE DISARMING SELF-DEFENCE ORGANISATIONS. BERLIN. March 14. The Reichstag has accepted the bill disarming the self-defence organisations, despite Bavaria's protests and threats to withdraw from the Coalition. SILESIAN PLEBISCITES A HINDENBURG PROCLAAIATION. BERLIN, Alarch 14. Hindenburg has issued a proclamation in Upper Silesia, in which he states:—“You are on the threshold of a decision upon which depends youx native land’s fate. I am convinced you will listen to the voice which speaks to your hearts reminding you of the fidelity and gratitude you owe in deciding to which country you shall belong.’’

GREEK ASPIRATIONS

PROTEST AGAINST TREATY PROVISIONS. LONDON. March 14. The Greek Legation in London has received a telegram from A: stating that the entire Greek Prc.-e declares that the concessions demanded from Greece favour Turkey, and attack the fundamental clauses of the Treaty of Sevren as a whole. Greece Is ready to enforce at any price respect for her national aspirations. Greece prefers to suffer frr-ii sacrifices in rapid military operations in order to end the indefinite situation.