BRITAIN AND FRANCE

Hokitika Guardian, 12 July 1924, Page 3

BRITAIN AND FRANCE

Australian and n.z. cable association

MaeDOXALD’S FULL EXPOSITION

ILOXOOX, July 10. In the House of Commons, replying to Air Stanley Tiii'lilwin ((Leader of tin* Opposition), the Prime .Minister, Air Ramsay MacDonald nnitle no important statement upon his vi.-it to the French capital. The Prime Minister said that he went to Paris to try

and remove an unfortunate .situation which had arisen there, and which threatened to destroy the work done to arrange tin Inter-Allied Conference. The Government was of opinion that tr supreme effort should he made to put the Experts’ Report into operation without delay. French opinion, lie sttid was unwilling to allow tin* Experts' Report to he regarded as a substitute for the Treaty of Ver■sailles, hut was willing to accept it as a new and hotter way of dealing with reparations. ()q the other hand, the essential foundation of the Experts’ Report was the raising of a forty million loan, which would he impossible, unless tile wouhl-hc investors in such loan were assured that their investments would not he destroyed by political or military action on the part of the Allied or German Governments. The investors would not he forthcoming so long as the political and economic security which the German State, as a going concern, ■offered' the investors could he destroyed Inaction similar to what occurred last year.

Continuing. Afr Afac|)ou.ald said the Government, therefore, had agreed firstly to try and add to the Reparations Commission when it was dealing with any defalcation under the Experts' Report, an American member, who would care for the interests of the investors, or failing that, to use the services ol an American Reparation Agent-General. The British Government suggested llmt this gentleman should arbitrate in the event of a l'n i I tire to get a unanimous decision of the Commission. The French Government wished for time to consider this and to leavo the final decision to tlie London and Allied Conference. The. British Government, finally agreed to this and meanwhile, it would consult financial opinion. Fnless this matter were settled to the satisfaction of investors no loan would he forthcoming. The French Government further desired to associate the question of the Inter-Allied debts with the Experts’ Report, hut the British Government was unable to agree to that. Air .MacDonald added that he had •w.'irncd Al. Iferrint that the British Government could not allow this matter to drag out indefinitely, and he proposed to risk the Treasury to take up the matter where it was left by I .old Cur■/.oil’s note of the 11th. of ’August last. Further, he had suggested that a French Treasury official should come to Loudon lor a preliminary discussion of the question x with the British officials, it was agreed that this should lie done, and. in negotiating a settlement, aeeoinil would he taken of all consideration.-. Air AlaeDonald further stated that the French Government desires io keep (lie question of national security alive. The British Government had made it definitely clear that no proposal in the nature of a military part could lie entertained, hut it had repeated its desire to continue the conversations on 11 1 is subject, especially as regards arrangements through the League of Nations, through Disarmament Conferences and by other nc%.J eeptable means.

Af. POINCARE’S QUESTION

HER RIOT' TO RERLY FRIDAY.

(Received this dav at 9.28 a.in.)

PARIS, July II

Interpolating the Government on its foreign policy in the crowded Senate AI. Roineare, in n speech, deprecated Air .MacDonald's and AL llerriol’s substitution of persuasion for constraint against Germany. His opinion was that the London Conference ought not to have been {(invoked until Germany had voted the measures required liy the Experts’ plans. He expressed dissatisfaction with the communique issued after Wednesday’s conference and contends that the Reparations Commission should continue to decide the question of German defaults and each Ally retain her right to act along in the event ol delimit: though concerted action was preferable. Al. Horriot "ill reply on Friday.