FRANCE AND THE SAAR

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 828, 23 November 1929, Page 11

FRANCE AND THE SAAR

PARLEYS WITH GERMANY BEGIN MINES, TARIFFS AND LAW Times Cable. Reed. D a.m. LONDON, Friday. A message from Paris says it. is announced at the Quai D’Orsay that E rench and German delegations today . began negotiations concerning the ; Saar. After a speech of welcome, sub- I committees were appointed to deal with mines, tariffs and legal questions. The negotiations are t xpected to be \ very lung drawn out. It is recalled ! that under the Versailles Treaty the j exploitation of the Saar mines was handed over to France as compensation tor the destruction of mines in j Northern France by the Germans. The ! latter say Franco already has received 26,000 more tons of coal than she lost; through the destruction of her own mines in the war. France also has had the economic i advantage of including the Saar dis- j trict In her Customs system for 10 years, say the Germans, the profits J from which have not figured iu any j reparation account. Also it is re-j called that the future of the Saar must be settled by a plebiscite in 1005. j It is agreed that this will almost! certainly favour Germany, hence the French anxiety for an earlier agree- ' merit, which Germany is using as a! lever for an earlier restoration of the j territory. According to the Paris correspondent of the “Morning Post,” France is willing to cede the mines on reason-; able terms, but wants an equitable tariff between the Saar and France,* which would not hinder the export of coal from the Saar needed by French ! industries, aid on the other hand j would not hinder the import of French goods into the Saar. France’s idea is that the mines should be vested in a Franco-German I company to be virtually representative of the two States.