MR LLOYD GEORGE.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 January 1923, Page 3

MR LLOYD GEORGE.

I A FURTHER ARTICLE. ICSTKAI.IAN ANT. N. Z. CABI.H ASSOCIATION. Tile i.dlowing ; lid all ol -Mr Lloyd George articles, are copyright by | Puited Pres- in America and all countries, copyright in Australasia by ilie- , Australian Pres- Copyright in liritain b\ the Daily Chronicle. (Reproduction in full or part prolii- . iated). I llteeeivcd tins '-ay at 'a a.m ; LONDON, .hmuftry 11. I AL Lloyd George continues W ltat i* 'the reparations probl-mi ; wt.y doe- it ii |,peat* fort ii.-r Imm -elution than over I' The public in all lands are perplexed and worried by its ili.-liirhiug insolubility. 'I he i cal t rouble is not the solving ot the problem Jtsell, but the s .ii,-|viiig of public opinion which • ■,r: ou ml- il. i do not mean to suggest ii is easy is, a- .-1 loin what German an pay or loi Germany I to keep on paying tke-e j sums, once limy tv ascertained. If ' t'-c dillicnlty is purely financial il {c;ui i I, ■ overcome. ■ lie heart ot the problem lies iu the impossibility ol at pio.-ont eoiivineing the expert aid. iuclignaut. Lard hit. heavily burdened I co ,le <|l i-'i'.'i lice that I lie sums fixed. ten. '-cut all German;. Is capable of payee... -. i lirst ii v - too readily taken r yr: - i ill I '.■.•■ait l ! v. liii li could laoir the war debt of eight thousand million loiihl surely all’ord an indumnity of -is thousand million, provided that u "a.- i.ndc a first charge of tie; national ; evenues. it took time for tin- a ver a-c ■ mind to appreciate the 111 ml"' men ta I difference between payment inside and !ra 11 -■! 11 i-si c n outside a country. Wren I think o I the e.-t i mates I" i"!I u*( 1 in IP|P i \ the highly trailH"! eXj'erls as to to many’- capacity to P y ; a-h over t lie ! order I am not di« posed to complain of the Flench tnxpayel's imcaticiicc at the cll'oi ts of ste--cc-sii c < oiil'cr ata- to cut daun those sang"ine estimate- t i I'easihle iliuieniiiu. pride til'd common -on-e of more lieav ily hurdei’ed British taxpayers long ag" taught him to cut his loss and keep ili- temper. hen !'i- example ilollov. ed all round then the room rat ion- jirohletu v. ill already he solved and linaneier- ran tin'll soon line! a vuy out. ft i- always assumed by those who have not read the Versailles Trealy and letter accompanying it. that Ibis much' abused little perused document fixed a falntluotis indemnity. Tlv Treaty mav hate defects, hut that is not one of them, for it fixed no payment. II stipulated that the Reparations Commission should assess the danrge and compensation Also that

the com mission and this i- aI" : 1 s overlooked should ascertain how non h of that claim Gormrutv is capable a p tying. [ IT. mso dor cold re\ ci-iali't- a- yognor A'iui ignore- the Liter provLioM mb Lreals every alleralion ill ilia annuities fixe:', in .May. I'.'-'l. a- a de[lat'Lure from tin* bieaty, lo the \ into! - ih. trinient. whereas, every modi.'ilation "a- eife le,] under the Treatyimii'hinei v. I;• 11 :;c• iv ha- nmluiilifediy been f■. ini;' me ti ta i 'ie tut ft tire i tom Ihe tivatv ami the whole trouble im- ..risen by this depai iure. The treaty provided Lull the Reparations Coinini—i m should include the America rep:c~cntatite. With the exception of America all the other powers i>re i< c i! n - aril v interested in the verdict. ' best l hen-fore it was not a eery impartial tribunal. Still liritain as a great trading community, being mete interested in a settlement then iu a fee. miliiiii-.s more or less ol indemnity w:i n s out of Get many. would v, ith ih-i's presence en the Cammivimi ha\e ■o:i -1 it It ted a guarantee f r moilej | j ii. Now t'e otilv dis-ttl *p sted | ; ;»;■ j s h s r ,-t jreil I nun the t 1 ihunal | v. I ih- the mii-'l in'r.c-tcd party is i:.j tic cl,air with t'e casting vole ot; [ , .in iptc-fi'-'.u-. That is not the I t oaty Germany -igneu. The Li lian; ej of the Treat'. !:••< lieen entirely oosel. \ \\ Ini i- I-ally needed is to restore : tic- b.ilan-ce to secure a f: ir \ erdi‘'l. . On the - olv i|uesfion how much can ■ Germany pay .you must make up your • mind licHicr you wish to ruin the ; debtor or recover ensb. It you want j bee 1 ' from a cow you must forego milk. , Yon must find out " bat the debtor t an pa v and t lii’ii pioeeed j mlieiotisly, patiently and firmly to recover the amount. T do not mean what he can pay by condemning him to life servitude til'd poverty. No brave can stand that long. If you scrape butler from tbe bread of every German child for thirty years yan may add a milliard or two gold mark- to the indemnity. That is net what the Treaty intended. Yen must fix what Germany can imv without nomlemniog a generation of workers to Fgyptian bondage and their eh il- , (Iron to semi-starvation. Every oppression if persisted in ultimately ends ; iu ruin of the Rod Rea. j Europe only just escaped with great loss- from iPs water'. TYe want to civ-s no other. Tile only hope of a fair filial , decision t- to secure representative of America ou the adjudicating body. Lnlcss America takes a hand F i- -oa! settlement wid be postponed until llie hour of ii reparable lni-chiul. i. Ame: i;i cannot occupy t'.e vacant (•bail- I de-paii- of any real progress being made. The Allies Minister- < annul accept decisions from a body repre-s-nting ibe leading power- who w n tin- war. which dare not take on tkeir own rc'noiisibilify. 'I hat is the (*-- sew it vie e, i.|;ion. Statesmen cot.ld accept the judgment of internal muni tribunal without being taxed with tesponsihility for its conclusion-. British opinion will not accept a settlement based on the assumption that abatement- in reparations must I-,.* discounted by Rriti-h taxpayers. She is willing to stand iu with the Allies for loss as well as profits. Britain would resent bitterly that the loss must necessarily be her share, whilst such profit as there is belongs to others. Americans also will not s--e the toree of a settlement at their expense, a- if they have been condemned to par an indemnity. Tbe offer to hand over bonds to Britain L- an insult to the intelligence of the British public. T.et us get back to the Treaty. There is no need to revise it. All that is needed js tr> restore ii. Tf America reappear- on the tribunal sbe ueecj not accent the rest of ilia Treaty,