GERMAN REPARATION

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 146, 16 March 1921, Page 5

GERMAN REPARATION

THE RECOVERY BILL SECOND READING IN HOUSE OF COMMONS JUSTICE OF ALLIES’ CLAIM NOT DISPUTED By Telegraph—Press Association-Copyright (Rec. March 15, 8.45 p.m.) London, March 14.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr. Austen Chamberlain), in moving the second reading of the German Reparation Recovery Bill, said the attitude of the Germans appeared to te that as soon as they were strong enough they would regard the Versailles Treaty as a scrap of paper, and tear it up. As long ns that was the Germans’ attitude it would be impossible for the Allies to come to an agreement with them. It would be folly to protend that the proposed penalties could be imposed without some disturbance of the Allies’ trade. The House must face the facts. Either they wanted reparation and must exact it, or they did not care for reparation at all.

Mr. H. Bottomley moved the rejection of tho Bill on the ground that it did not go far enough. It was economically unsound, politically mischievous, and commercially impracticable. Sir Robert Horne (President of the Board of Trade), replying to a question, said that the imports to Britain from Germany last year totalled £31,073,000, the exports to Germany 4:21,535,000, and the exports of foreign and colonial merchandise to Germany 429.153,090.

Mr. Asquith re-echoed Mr. Chamberlain’s statement that there was absolutely no difference of opinion in the House of Commons or outside it regarding the justice of the claim made against Germany. The question was purely one of practicability and expediency, but we must be careful not to extract payment in a form injurious to ourselves. The German exporter might be able to wriggle out of the imposition of the tax by raising the price of goods. The question of origin also presented a difficulty. He had the greatest misgiving whether so complicated machinery would be found worth while.

Captain Wedgwood Benn considered that instead of swamping Britain with cheap German goods, the Allies should seize German ground rents and the royalties on coal mines and the Kiel Canal. f Mr. Lloyd George ridiculed Mr. Bottomley’s and Captain Benn’s proposals, which would involve the maintenance of an army of occupation throughout Germany. Even if we remained in Berlin till Germany accepted, we would come back to a paper agreement, which was perfectly futile. Did Mr. Bottomley imagine that we could march into Germany and. bring back the mines and forests on lorries? (Laughter.) If Germany declined to honour our Treasury receipt, the Bill would have the effect of automatically excluding goods which the Allies did not really need. The great industrial concerns in Germany were making huge profits out of the difference between the price at which they could produce and the selling price in the market. I

The Bill was read a second time without division. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

CUSTOMS COLLECTIONS ALONG RHINE AMERICAN CO-OPERATION REQUESTED. (Rec. March 15, 8.45 p.m.) Washington, March 14. The War Department has stated that the conimander of the American Rhine forces has forwarded a request from the inter-Allied Rhineland Commission for the bo-operation of the American forces in the Customs collections along the Rhine. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. THE OCCUPIED TOWNS STINNES ORGANISING A LOCK-OUT. Paris, March 14. The "Petit Parisien’s” correspondent at Dusseldorf states that Herr Stinnes and a number of manufacturers are organising a lock-out in the occupied towns with a view to stopping production.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. SELF-DEFENfEjGRGANISATIONS DISARMING BILL ACCEPTED BY REICHSRATH. Berlin, March 14. The Reichsrath has accepted the Bill disarming the self-defence organisations, despite Bavaria’s protests and threats to withdraw from the Coalition. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. UPPER SILESIAN PLEBISCITE APPEAL FROM HINDENBURG. Berlin, March 14. Hindenburg has issued a proclamation in Upper Silesia, in which he states:— "You are on the threshold of a decision upon which depends your native land’s fate. lam convinced you will listen to the. voice which speaks to your hearts reminding you of the fidelity and gratitude you owe in deciding to which country you shall belong.”—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.