NO DECISION YET OVER REPARATIONS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18769, 27 May 1929, Page 3

NO DECISION YET OVER REPARATIONS.

“ DOOR NOT CLOSED, BUT HANDLE STOLEN.” (United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright). PARIS, May 25. To-day was expected to be the fateful day at the Reparations Conference, but no decision was reached, and probably there will be none to-morrow. So the great day may be Monday. Many think that the historic decision will merely be a failure to agree. Another viewpoint is expressed by a prominent expert: “ The door is not yet closed, but somebody has stolen the handle!” A virtual deadlock has arisen in connection with the reparations. The Ger mans are prepared to reconsider their reservations, if the Allies will return to Mr Owen Young’s basis of £102,500,000, whereas the Allies assert that their demands represent the irredu cible minimum. They point out that the re-scaling of the payments, which the Germans call “ juggling,” is really devised to facilitate Germany’s task. It is believed that Mr Owen Young is disposed to side with the Germans in insisting that Belgium’s claim to £12,500,000 compensation for valueless German war-time currency should not be tacked on to the bill, but should be negotiated for separately and diplomatically. Some of the closest observers are inclined to think that German resistance will wilt in the face of the Allies’ firmness, especially in view of all that a settlement means to Germany in the direction of stability in finance, and the evacuation of the Rhineland. A Berlin message says that “ juggler’s trick ” is the term unanimously applied by the newspapers and official circles to the new reparations formula, instant rejection of w’hich is demanded The storm centres around ante-dating the schedule, by which the ordinary Dawes payment and the first Young plan instalment are payable almost simultaneously. “It is asking Germany to pay ninety millions sterling for nothing.” The Radical Press suggests that an ultimatum should be sent, that the conference must accept Germany’s offer, but admits that the conference has power to determine Germany’s fate for generations. Nevertheless, dispassionate commentators decline to admit that a breakdown of the conference is imminent Dr Vogler, while en route to Berlin, after resigning from the conference, admitted that they must welcome the American efforts at a compromise which favoured Germany.—Australian Press Association.