CANNES CONCLAVE.

Hokitika Guardian, 11 January 1922, Page 3

CANNES CONCLAVE.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.

CANNES CONFERENCE. , , CANNES, January 9. A meeting of Finance Ministers and experts decided the guarantee Committee should have headquarters defi■T • nitely in Berlin and its powers considerably reinforced to enable it to carry out strictly guarantee measures which would be exacted from Germany. It is understood that probably the Wiesbaden agreement would be allowed to Btand for three years. Each of the • Allies are allowed to make similar agreements. The cost of army of occupation excluding AmeiSca; is to be fixed at 220 million gold marks, from May, in addition to the fixed sum of paper marks, the intention being that each country meet the occupation costs out of deliveries in. kind. It is understood when the Genoa Conference is called all the nations will be invited to give mutual guarantees in respect to the frontiers of its immediate neighbours.

WHAT GERMANY PAYS. CANNES, Jan. 10.

The experts have agreed that Germany must pay 720 million gold marks, spread over the whole of 1922, instead of over four months. France’s share is to be 139 millions, and Belgium’s the remainder.

The reparations in kind for 1922 are fixed at 1350 million marks.

REPARATIONS REDUCTION. CANNES, Jan. 9,

It is understood that experts plafe Germany’s paying capacity in 1922 at 134 millions sterling in gold and kind, which) means a concession to Germanj of about £12,000,000.

LLOYD GEORGE’S POWER. (Received This Day at 9.40 a.m.) CANNES, Jan 10. The French do not like the idea of Germans attending the Conference pieferringj to submit terms to them, but Hon Lloyd George urged they could only get all the fabts by discussion and succeeded in swaying- the conference to listen to the Germans, the French alone dissenting.

THE NEW* ARRANGEMENT. LONDON, Jan. 9

The Supreme Council at Cannes spent the greater part of to-day in threshing out the possibilities of a Franeo-British Alliance. From the French point of view, it is stated, this alliance assumes a greater prominence than all the other problems. A majority of French politicians regard it as the corner stone of European foreign policy in the immediate future. M. Loucheur has drawn up a definite memorandum setting out the French view. It is understood M. Rriand is quit© willing that Britain should take the place which the United States and Britain combined should have occupied if the Versailles Treaty had been, carried out by America and Britain. M. Loucheur’s motion also proposed the inclusion of the defence of Poland and other weak nations in Europe in the entente, but it is understood that Mr Lloyd George’s reply was, not favourable to guaranteeing anything beyond France’s security.

A high French official, summing up the position to-day, said: “AVe may not perhaps have a formal alliance, but there will he a solid entente, more precise than we had betore. All our enemies play upon the differences existing between France and Britain, just as Abdul'Hamid played upon the differences between the Powers 20 years ago. On the reparation questions, the British are showing themselves “tres chic.” They have shrunk from no sacrifices. Press correspondents point out that the new pact must be of a character to satisfy the Dominions that it is a peace, and not a war agreement.

FRENCH DISTRUST BRITISH. LONDON, Jan. 9

At Cannes there has been a meeting of Finance Ministers. It was a lively one, especially when discussing a British proposal to transfer the Reparations Commission to Berlin, and to suppress the Committee of Guarantees. The French desired to send the Guarantees Commission to Paris. The Belgians objected on the ground of heavy expenses. The British suggested that the chairman in Berlin should belong to a nationality other, than French, upon which M. Briand made what is termed an unfortunate speech, suggesting that a British Chairman would show undue leniency to Germany. The British resented the French imputation. The Committee’s atmosphere remains electrical.

GERMANS AT CANNES. LONDON, Jan. 9. The German delegates are expected to arrive on Wednesday at the Cannes Conference. RUSSIA ACCEPTS INVITATION CANNES, Jan. 9 The Soviet has accepted the invitation of the Allies to the Genoa Economic Conference. M. Lenin will be unable to attend, but he says that Russia’s delegates will be vested with lull powers. FRENCH FEELING. 'Received This Day at P. 40 a - Tn -l PARIS, Jan. 10 In contract with the recent fnction with the behaviour of the Entente, the newspapers are jubilant at the process of the negotanons re ; warding a defensive pact. Le lemp. tirges the Government should cover naval aggression in the Channel, North Sea and Atlantic, ‘‘Journal Des Debats” wants the pact limited to isri tain, France, Belgium and perhaps Tt ll y \ s officially announced that the rights of the British Dominions will be fully reserved in connection with any Franco-Rritish arrangements, which may be reached.