PEACE TREATY

Hokitika Guardian, 6 May 1920, Page 2

PEACE TREATY

<By Electric Telegraph—Co iv.iglu

CLAIMS ON GERMANY

LONDON, May u. The Chancellor., of the Exclieqtn states that lie is preparing reparation claims, of which lie admitted, the amount is to be made notifiable to Germany by the Allied Reparations Committee bef ore the Ist of May next. The debt was to be discharged within thirty years. The Government would set aside from the first reparation received five million sterling for payments in certain cases to private individuals on account of losses for which they claim reparation, although no legal' claim exists. GERMANY’S LOW CREDIT. PAULS, May 4. f FgnißSp spites that an International. Economic Congress i,s being held at Frankfort. Herr'Mqller ('German Finance Minister) on behalf of tile German Government, proposed a method of internationally raising the German exchange for the purchase of raw material, the opepihg'of new credits, and the formation of an international syndicate linked with the League of Nations. ' • - -

WTJAT WILL GERMANY PAY

(Received this day af 8.40 a.m.)

LONDON, May 4. Tiie “Daily Chronicle’s’’ Berlin correspondent stptps-—“What shall we say we can pay,” is the question agitating the German Government. It is understood the special Committee of Treasury experts has considered the matter in view i>f the Spa Conference. They Propose that Germany shall pay an*annual sum of fifty million sterling in gold. The mpfipsty of tfie’estimfitp can be gauged when it is remembered that Germany herself proposed to pay five thousand million sterling during the peace negotiations, so it will take one hundred years to reach this modest sum under the present proposals.

GERMAN OFFER

AND FRENCH. HOPES,

(Received this day, at 9.39 a.m.) BERLIN,' May 5. • Messages froip Cjraqpden?; state that Germany *will pot pay one hundred billion rmirks indemnity. The offer made whop peace was signed was withdrawn by the German Government. The figure will Ire so low that it will dash Fj-apce’s optimistic hopes to the ground, so the Foreign Office Finance Ministry's officials declare.

FRENCH PROPOSALS

'Received this day at 9.20 a.m.)

LONDON, May 5,

M. Millerand is seeking Hon. Lloyd George’s approval of a proposal that Germany .shall pay the Allies a fixed annuity- of one hundred and twenty million for thirty years. • , ‘*’ • FRENCH FEARS. OPJNIONS ON PEACE TREATY.

(Received this day at 10.35 a.m.) PARIS, May 5.

M. Millerand visits London next week , to discuss the agenda for the meeting - at Spa on the 25th. M. .Millerand strongly desires that the Allies meet . the Germans with fixed decisions, admitting only of discussion on the application thereof. Two questions on which French opinion is niaipjy exercised, are the amount of reparations and Germany’s hope of securing a revision of portions of the Peace Treaty. France i opposes the fixing of the total amount I of reparations a£ present, because it believes that Germany is capable pf a ! rapid recovery financially and commercially. The amount should be olasjdc, consisting of a stipulated annual minijnujn during thirty years, plus j an annual addition regulating the progress of Germany’s recovery. As regards the softening of the Peace terms, France apprehensively observes a widespread tendency of the German press to believe that Spa meeting offers an opportunity to convince France's Allies: that France is merely pursuing a policy : of revenge, -which is futile for France, and bad for the Allies as well as Ger-1 many. j