PENALTY OF WAR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26034, 24 December 1945, Page 7

PENALTY OF WAR

GERMAN REPARATIONS PERCENTAGES TO ENEMIES AGREEMENT SIGNED IN PARIS (Rec. 7 p.m.) PARIS, Dec. 21. The Allied Reparations Conference has decided to award Britain and America each 28 per cent, of the available reparations from Western Germany, France 16 per cent., and the remaining 28 per cent, will be divided among the 15 other countries represented at the conference. Of these Canada will take 3.5 per cent., Australia .7 per cent., New Zealand .4 per cent. These percentages of the available reparations from Western Germany exclude 25 per cent, promised to Russia under the Potsdam Agreement, and include the 15 per cent, reparations due from the Russian zone. There is a second quota of reparations covering industrial machinery ana other equipment in Germany, as well as ships and craft for interior transport. America, Canada, and South Africa renounced their share of the machinery of Germany under this quota as they had not suffered depleting losses and were not in urgent need of replenishment from Germany. Tney therefore took lower percentages under the second quota allocations, which were: United Kingdom, 27.8 per cent.; United States, 11.9 per cent.; France, 22.8 per cent. The remaining 37.6 per cent, will be divided among 15 countries,, of which Canada will take 1.5 per cent., Australia .95 per cent., and New Zealand .6 per cent. Russia’s Share It was stated at the conference that Russia will receive only 10 per cent, of her 25 per cent, share in Western reparations “ free,” and must repay the Western Allies in grain and foodstuffs for the other 15 per cent, of machinery and other goods received. The conference spokesman said it was decided that all German assets found

abroad would be distributed also as reparations, and negotiations to obtain the-m would be started with neutral countries. The official communique says: “The agreement signed in Paris to-day comprises three main parts—First, the fixing of each country is receiving from the total reparations; secondly, the establishment of an interallied reparations agency with the task of allocating the German assets available for reparations in accordance with the quotas agreed upon; thirdly, providing for restitution of monetary gold looted by the Germans and found by the Allied armies, in Germany. This gold will be pooled and distributed among the participating countries in proportion to the gold they lost. The commission has assessed Britain to have made the biggest contribution to the war effort under the combined heads of “ effort ” and “ damage,” followed by America and France. The total sum payable by Germany for reparations is not yet fixed, but the Four-Power Reparations Commission in Berlin is continuing to draft lists of equipment and other assets which it is considered Germany can economically deliver. No Total Fixed The conference, in contrast with that after World War I, has adopted the line that no total of< German reparations should be fixed in' advance, that no definite term for payment or the end of reparations should be fixed, and that no reparations should be paid in foreign exchange, but only in available capital assets and subsequently in surplus production. Conference agreed to establish a fund for the help of displaced persons who cannot be repatriated. The fund will be partly© based on German assets abroad and the non-monetary gold found in Germany. The conference decided not to deal with the question of the restitution of identified looted property, which is being left to the Allied military control authorities. M. Bidault. bidding farewell to delegates, indicated that it had not been easy to prevail on some of the smaller countries to accept the percentages allotted them. “ However severe is the treatment applied to Germany, you knew she could never repay all the ruin she inflicted. Nobody is fully satisfied, but your countries will appreciate the effort at conciliation you have made.” Reuter’s Paris correspondent says New Zealand did not sign the agreement for technical reasons. It is understood that she is signing later. Egypt is expected to sign as soon as an authorisation is received from the Government. Reuter’s correspondent in Athens says it is announced that Greece will not sign the agreement. It is considered in Athens that the percentage of reparations allotted Greece is too small. The amount awarded her is stated to be less than £750,000,000, whereas Greek claims totalled about £2,500,000,000.