GERMANY'S OFFER.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 May 1923, Page 5

GERMANY'S OFFER.

THE REPLY OF BRITAIN. FRENCH ACT REGRETTED. ALLIED ANSWER FAVORED. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received May 10, 5.5 p.m. London, May 9. Britain’s reply to the German Note, which was drafted by experts, has received Cabinet approval. It will be despatched on Friday. Mr. Stanley Baldwin, m the House of Commons, said the Government regretted ,the unnecessary precipitancy of the FrancoBelgian reply to the German Note, also the loss of the opportunity of again testifying to the solidarity of the Allies by a joint communication. Britain proposed to state her own views in a separate reply with the least possible delay. He believed Italy would do the same. It was the Government’s view that the best national procedure would be to return a concerted reply, the more so as the German Note was in response to a suggestion made publicy and officially by the British Foreign Minister as to reparations, in which the Allied Powers, ahd not France and Belgium alone, were deeply concerned.

Nor in the opinion of the Government need any insuperable difficulty be experienced in drafting a collective reply, reserving for separate treatment by the French and Belgian Governments, if desired, the questions arising directly out of the recent occupation of German territory. The Government had reason to believe these views were shared by some of the Allies. They were quite prepared to make proposals to this effect, having already communicated their views to the Allied Governments, when they were officially informed that France and Belgium had drafted a reply for themselves alone, the text of which was communicated by them on Saturday afternoon with the intention that it should be presented within 24 hours to the German Ambassador. FRENCH PRESS BITTER. BRITAIN NOT POPULAR. Paris, May 8. The newspapers are indignant at Lord Curzon’s statement and consider the criticisms of Franco-Belgian action unfounded. They hope the incident, which is generally considered a question of amour propro, will not have consequences. © The press gives prominence to Sir Stan ley Baldwin’s statement in the House of Commons. Le Journal says it is the declaration of a man in a bad temper, though ho may not have realised it. Le Matin remarks that the main point is that it seems to reproach France officially, this time with the same lack of courtesy of which the British press has already accused us. La Victoire asks what interests have ihc Allied nations to serve by publicly picking at each Wc thought this deplorable habit had disappeared with Mr. Lloyd George. L’Eclair says that, in order to embarrass Mr. Boner Law, M. Poincare only need submit Franco’s debit account for the devastated areas and ask this great man nf justice whether France or Germany should pay.