WAR DEBTS.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume XXIII, 7 August 1922, Page 8

WAR DEBTS.

SANCTIONS IMMINENT. EXCITEMENT IN ALSACE AND LORRAINE. (Per Pre«s Association —Copyright'). Paris, August 6. There is great excitement among the Germans in Alsace and Lorraine, who believe they will be expelled wholesale. Everything on the frontier indicates that sanctions are imminent. The Commission recommended that the Allies should accept the German offer of a monthly instalment of half a million.

PAYMENT DELAYED. < X)MMI SSION’S RECOMMENDATION. Official.—The Reparation Commission, by a majority of three to one, recommended that the Allies should not demand the reparation payment from Germany until the end of the year. NEW NOTE FROM GERMANY. LONDON, August a. Germany has addressed a further temporising Note to France on the subject of a moratorium. She reminds France that Britain’s and Belgium’s replies expressed willingness to' consider the request for reduced payments, with other Powers, so that a reply in the name of all the Allies might be given. Germany’s Note says Germany will do her utmost to produce the required sums by levies, and points out. that by implication the Reichsrath has already given proof of sincerity in provisionally considering a Bill to further tax those most capable and liable to pay. The Note adds that Germany is collapsing economically and financially in the worst possible way, and solemnly urges France to review the whole question and withhold action until she confers with the other Allies.

The “Morning Post’s” Paris correspondent says that, as before all previous "conferences, the Press has adopted the attitude of making negotiations difficult. Previously it always demanded Germany’s strict obedience to the text of the Versailles Treaty. Today it devotes itself to reproaching Britain over the tone of the repara tions debate, alleging that it prejudiced the success of Monday’s conference. The “Temps” protests that Mr Lloyd George, by delaying settlement of the reparations, has acted as an arbiter between France and Germany, and has prevented the former being paid, and has ’ contriWuhed /to Germany’s present position.

The “Journal des Debats” deplores Mr Lloyd George’s vagueness, and contends that he has not shown whither he wants to go and has merely produced a London fog around the subject. France’s time limit within which Germany must give guarantees to pay the two millions sterling due on the 15th expires at noon to-day. It is improbable that France will take military action. Reports from Paris indicate that she will expel Germans from Alsace and confiscate their property, Herr Stinnes. and other German industrialists, fearing that France will seize their property in Rhineland, held a meeting to discuss counter-measures. It is stated -that since the despatch ,of the French Note Germans living m Alsace-Lorraine in expectation of coercive measures have been removing property to Switzerland and other countries. FRANCE HITS BACK. LONDON, August 5. France’s reply to the German Note is a, ■curt intimation that she has taken the'following steps to protect her rights. The French Government has instructed the Paris and Strasb'urg Compensation Committee — (1) To abrogate German credit. (2) Not to pay Germany the compensation awarded by a mixed arbitration tribunal for German property liquidated in France; (3) Not to notify Germany of the 1 amount of such compensation. Other coercive steps mentioned are the'suspension of restitution of Germanowned property in Alsace-Lorraine and drastic measures against Germans in Alsace-Lorraine, which if they do not lead to swift settlement, will be supplemented by stronger action. EUROPE A POWDER MAGAZINE. (By Sir Philip Gibbs. )

The most notable event of the week in regard to European sett lensent? was a dear indication from France that it was ready to drop the threat of immediate invasion of Germany should

that country default on indemnities. It has taken a long time to peri trade the French Govei-nmient that seizure of the Germai ndustrial cities would create a new chaos and more imminent dangers in Europe. What hens. finally persuaded them is not only Lloyd'

George’s straight talks at' Genoa. but the direct 1 message- to the Conservative Party, through Bonar Law as its mouthpiece, that France's warmest friend, England, would not- support her if she put new military pressure' on Germany to extract, indemnities beyond! the German -means to pay. Besides a warning it was like an electric -shock, to Poincare’-t administration.

ft made them realise sharply that if they gave orders for a marth into the Ruhr after May 31 it would isolate France from Britain. That thought of isolation, though often envisaged calmly in the French press, became intolerable -when shown as the inevitable result of the present policy. Wise counsels prevailed' that the enormous importance of British friendship to France is not to be risked at a. time when the German-Russian alliance raises a nbw bogy in the French' imagination. It is possible that a loan will be- made Germany on her industrial securities under secret guarantees if she checks the use of the printing press- 'for paper money,-stabilizes the mark, balances her budget by more drastic taxation. This will be a compromise-, postponing -struggles that cannot be averted more tl(an a- few years. I do not mean necessarily a military struggle, though Europe is still a powder magazine, but a tremendous struggle that one day must be decided' between ideafe -of European unity based on a real permanent peace pact and the old international balance of power in which- groups of nations face other groups with such equal strength of arms that they hesitate to violate. each other’s rights.

Lloyd. George with usual dramatic instinct touched for a moment with the searchlight of his vision Europe’s darkest problem. “Will a hungry Russia,” he asked, ‘■‘sit quietly while .its children are dying? That is not the experience of the past.” He meant ..the experience of past history outside bf Russia, as, for instance, when Napoleon broke the Ib'fockade of France and led his hungry legions to loot many cities, ravage many countries, overthrow

many thrones. Lloyd George has .1 been to Russia. He speaks only through the gift of imagination, and knowledge <lf human nature. I have been to Russia and seen its ruin and agony; I support his view by saying I cannot imagine ihose hundred and fifty million people sitting quietly to die as so many are now doing in spite of worldwide efforts of charity on behalf of the children. God knows if there will be ari.or.her drought this year. If that were to happen., as it is prophesied, there will be famine from one end of Russia to another, and those people- would get on the move as sure as hungry locusts gather over harvest fields, in search of food. Any kind of world is preferable to such lingering death, and Trotsky could rally up bis ill-fed legions for' any desperate adventure.

There aie some who hope and think Tchit: hi rin’s failure to obtain loans or credits frcai the Pacifist elements at the Genoa Conference will overthrow th - Bolshevist Government. I am not one who think so. I did not meet a single man or. woman in Russia, including those <)f the old regime, who believed the T ld/>evik were menaced by internal .'vohdion. The time is gone past for that-. Even the young aristocrats are Serving as Red officers or Soviet officials, first f r a means of life, but, secondly, because they are willing to support any Gotenimc.it which holds Russia together and prevents further anarchy.

The future’s hardening spirit among the Russian leaders will defeat the moderate pacifist element. That will assuredly happen if The Hague Conference does not lead to more definite results for Russia, than Genoa. In that case I am convinced that Lenin and Trotsky, the inner council of

Soviet wire pullers, will conspire for a world war as one means of escape for the Russian people. It will be a conspiracy with German militaristsby which I do not mean the German people—who would accept aid from the devil himself for the joy of vengeance.

I have enormous pity for the Russian people. They are as good a people as any one; they are brave, patient, kindly, simple folk. They are just victims of a tragic fate beyond their power to alter or control. They are peasants who love their land, their women folk and children, and desire enough to eat. But, like all people of human kind, they may be turned into savage beasts by fear, hunger and desperate misery.

It is because I know that these people, governed by a little minority of fanatical men, are threatened by increasing famine that I see the urgent need of international aid, not only for fheir sake, but for Europe’s sake. Their leaders have made for a few months a pact of peace. What is going to happen after that ? It would be real immorality to buy off the Bolsheviks, as King Alfred thought to buy off the Danes. On the other hand, an attempt to destroy them by force would lead only Eo new fruitless agonies to the Russian people.

Now that France is ready to work in closer union with Great Britain, there might still possibly come an arrangement with Germany I'igarding Russia. Germany, outside the .small military clique", would, as I know, welcome such a proposal. She is the most anti-Bol-shevist nation outside of England and the United States. She only leans toward Russia to avoid French aggression. Her treaty of Rapallo was just a, warning to France if she decided to invade the German industrial cities—a grim alternative.

But now France, held up by the threat from Germany (at least the present German Government), is willing to come into some co-operative scheme for Russian reconstruction. Here is the way that might be taken, as it should Have been taken before. The Soviet delegates could be faced at The Hague, as elsewhere, with a united front, including Germany, and in return for credits would have to accept conditions which they now evade. France, which opposed a discussion of Red army mobilisation offered by Tcmtcherin because it opened general discussion, which might weaken the French strength in armed force, could be persuaded to support that condition now she lias drawn closer to Great Britain to avoid isolation.

With backing from the United States this .scheme could still go through as a good business policy. It would save- the Russian people, for the Bolshevist Government would come into line with the ordinary code of international honor. It would also break the sinister meaning of that German Treaty of Rapallo, by which at present Germany is left alone ip the field with the Russian Government. These things are worth thinking about by all men and women. They are the only things that matter, not so much to our present generation but- to children yet unborn who would b<“ tlie Victims of the next Armageddon unless we try to save them now.