LONDON CONFERENCE

Hokitika Guardian, 16 August 1922, Page 2

LONDON CONFERENCE

REUTER’S TELEGRAMS. | THE FAILURE. LONDON. Aug 14. ; The attitude on the question of Allied Control of German forests and mines of Rhineland and Rhur, led to an impasse. tl<>» Lloyd George nrtule a supreme effort to arrive at an un- • derstaruling. Italians and Belgians i were strenuously endeavouring to ?e- i cure a renewal of the conference, but M. Poincare remains unmoved. He lias provisionally arranged to leave for France to-morrow. The Reparations Cmmission suspended the German payment due to-day pending the deliberation. FEARS ALLAYED LONDON, Aug 14. The fears that.the breakdown of the Conference would involve a breach of the Entente have been allayed by the fact that M. Poincare subsequently joined the others m considering the Austrian question, which was referred to the League of Nations. .

• TEMPORARY SETTLEMENT. LONDON, Aug 14. The Clearing House debts question lms been settled, the Conference adopt ing the Expert Committee's proposal that Germany must pay the £2.000,<XXt due on the Toth of this month, within four weeks thereafter. The various Governments will arrange separately with Germany regarding the payment of their Nationals’ debts, subject to the Reparations Coinmisscn’s approval. M. Poincare and M. Theunis both declared these proposals involved a sacrifice of principle, but they have agreed to them for the sake of Allied unity.

ENGLISH PRESS ADVICE. LONDON, Aug 15. The London “Daily Express” says editorially“ For three years an appearance fo Inter-Allied unity has been maintained by a series of compromises. This time no compromise between England’s economic and France’s political outlook is possible. Wc shaM ocntimic to hope till the 12th hour that France will take counsel with reason and sobriety and will not act separately her own best interests.”

EXCUSE FOR GOLFING. LONDON, Aug 14. \ piquant side issue of the Co»ference was Mr Lloyd George’s explanation of why lie spent the weekend in the country, regarding which there has been heated French criticism. He said he hoped the delegates did not misunderstand bis luotne. There was a strong fueling in Britain, 1.0 declared ,against public work on Sunday, unless the situation urgen ly demanded it. He thought the experts needed a rest, and that le delegates would wrestle with the problems better after a respite.

Al- POTNCARE’S GRAVE WARNING. LONDON, Aug 15. M. Poincare, in the course of a lengthy verbal statement said that he wanted to insist there has been no rupture of the Anglo-French Entente If French opinion thought that Hi tain wished to impose her will on France ,it would have the effect « creating deep sorrow. It would cruel awekening. If France took hack her liberty of action, it would inevitably smash the Entente. He said. “It would smash the Entente, " 1U * tor 35 years, I have fostered and wor - ld for.' I wilt do everything possible that °I can to prevent such such a disaster.”