GERMAN ITEMS

Hokitika Guardian, 9 May 1923, Page 3

GERMAN ITEMS

Australian and n.z. cable association, THE BRITISH REPLY. LONDON, May 8. Mr A. Baldwin in the Commons said Government regretted the unnecessary precipitancy of the Frnnco-Bclgian reply to the German Note, also the toss of the opportunity of again testifying to the solidarity of the Allies by a joint communication. Britain proposed to state her own views in a separate reply, with the least possible delay. He believed Italy would do the same. It was the Government's view that the best and most natural procedure t would be to return to a. concerted reply, more so as the German Note was , in response to a suggestion made publicly and officially by the British Foreign Minister as to reparations, wherein the Allied powers and not France and Belgium alone were deeply concerned. Nor, in the opinion of Government, need any insuperable difficulty have been experienced in drafting a collective reply, reserving for separate treatment bv the French and Belgian Governments, if desired, questions arising directly out of the recent occupation of German territory. Goveminent had reason to believe these views were shared by some of the Allies.

Mr Baldwin said they were quite prepared to make proposals to this effect having already communicated their views to the Allied Governments, when they were officially informed that Franco and Belgium had drafted a reply for themselves alone, the text of which was communicated by them on .Saturday afternoon with the intimation that it would be presented within 21 hours to the German Ambassador. HEAVY SENTENCES AND FIXES. KJim> GETS 15 YEARS. (Received this day at 11.45 a.m.) LONDON, May 9. Herr Tvrupp and his fellow directors, Destortlc and Hot tivig, were each sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment, Bruslin to ten years, and three absent accused to 20 years. All were lined a. hundred million marks each. Gross was sentence.l to 10 years and lined fifty million marks.