REPARATIONS DEADLOCK

Waikato Times, Volume 98, Issue 15313, 14 August 1923, Page 5

REPARATIONS DEADLOCK

FRENCH PRESS COMMENTS

NO TURNING BACK.

BECAUSE OP LEGAL QUIBBLE.

Australian and N.Z. C.iblo Assn. PARIS, August 13. The newspaper La Liberie asserts ihat the British Foreign Office perfectly well knows ihat the suggestion regarding the locality of the occupation of the Ruhr oould not. be admilled for an instant by Franco. Questions concerning the treaties of 1919 depend solely on the Allies who won the war and in no way upon the League of Nations, of which the Hague Tribunal is an annex. L’Oeuvre asks: “What is the good of arguing whether the Ruhr occupation provided for under a certain paragraph of the treaty is good or bad. The French and Belgian Governments will not evacuate the Ruhr over a legal quibble.” The French Government will shortly issue a Yellow Book bringing the history of the reparation negotiations to date.

BRITISH PRESS VIEWS.

Australian and N.Z. Cable Assn. LONDON, August 18. British press opinion upon the reply is illustrated by the following typical extracts:— The Morning Post says: “We hope that Mr Baldwin will not take it arniss when we express our deeply-felt conviction that separate action lea is only to the abyss. It may be difficult to agree with Frince, but it would be suicidal to part from 'her. We trust that the irritation which the Note will cause in France will not make it impossible for both countries to get back to the right road. Franco and Britain are now r in the danger zone. If, and when, they get. hack to safety, we trust that the British Government’s first action will be a bold, comprehensive and definite statement concerning the ■security of Franco, w r hich is the supreme issue in modern European politics. Its second action should bo an announcement to Germany that as wo have bound ourselves to the United Stales for a long term, Germany cannot expect to win 'her freedom until she has served leastways as long.”

The Daily Telegraph comments: “ The British Government's policy is to secure an early settlement of reparations which will enable Germany to pay on terms to which she is a consenting party. Britain is ready tc include in the settlement a most generous remission of inter-Allied debts. On the other band, French policy leads, in the Pritish Government's opinion, through chaos and catastrophe in Germany to an eventual settlement, of which the only .thing predictable with •certainty is that it will not produce reparations for Britain, whatever fruits it produces for France. The Daily Express heartily agrees with the portion of the Note dealing with reparations and international indebtedness, particularly the declaration that Britain will not accept less in repayments of debts than she 'has ■undertaken to pay the United States. The Express describes this as a new and welcome note of determination on behalf of the British taxpayer which i has been too long absent from our ! diplomacy. If Mr Baldwin's Government intends to take its own measures 1 for collecting the vast sums legitimately due to Britain, it will secure the approval of the great mass of the ; nation.

The Daily Chronicle suggests that it would have been more useful if the protest against the occupation of the Ruhr had been forcibly, obstinately, and publicly asserted before the invasion took place. While welcoming pressure in reference to the French debt and the hints of a possible separate action, the Chronicle says the country in this matter is in advance of the Government.” The Westminster Gazette states that the offer to wipe out all indebtedness to Britain beyond what we have to pay the United States is the truest measure of our anxiety to restore peace. If this offer does not move France, we are committed to an independent course and policy. We have come to tiie point from which there can be no turning back on our part.