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Hokitika Guardian, 3 January 1929, Page 4

A lew months ago (Joriuji :ty entered on her fifth year of reparation payments iil aeeurda nee with the Dnwes 1*1:111. \ I»ii t. ish odieinß Mr Parker C« il•it rt, is in cnnlrol of th<‘ arrangement made with Germany on hehnlf of the Allies, and lie reiommcnded in his last report that the Powers should now decide precisely the aniount of Germany's toted indebtedness and the means hy which it, should lie discharged. It was fell, hv Ihe Government •imeenied that though the Ann'rican people are not- a contracting party to I lie Dawes Plan, it is desirable that the Puiled Stales should assist in the ••'.■irk of the (Mininission that is being set up to make linal arrangements about t-ln' (lerman debt, and the American (iovernment has consented. This contest, however, remarks a eontemporary. has been given in carefully guarded terms. The American Oovernment is as anxious as ever (o olivial* any impression that it means to parti- • ipate in “Kur-penii entanglements.” and therefore it stipulates that the 'meriean experts shall he selected by the foreign Governments concerned. Thev are not to receive any definil" in-lrnetiens from their own Government, and they are merely to as'.at the Allies hy their exe.ert knowledge |,o arrive at some satisfactory decision in regard to (lermanv's ITianeial oliliipit ions The prohlem of (lermanv's i" (leht"dness, and the means hv which it sh odd lie disehareed, has pernh xed F'l- - ever since Ihe war. .A t first there was no possihility of solving it siimsfaeferi'y eeeanse it was imoossihle to say what amount cl' indemnit" (lie Gerci m- mi’dit he "hie to ell o'd in a I 'W years’ lime. When the Dawes Plan w'is aihmied in ID-1 I lie ipiestion of (I'ermany’s delits was in realilv a sort of side issue. The Dawes Commit lee was appointed to deal with two other

problems—--the stabilising and if possible the restoration oi the depreciated mark, anil the balancing of the German j.Jiulget. The total amoiint p.i.vabic by way ol reparations and the method oi payment could not possibly be fixed till these two preliminary sic; s had been taken. The annual payments arrangeed in accordance with the I'awes Plan were therefore provisional, and they were also in a sense conditional upon Germany’s earning capacity. Now, alter four years, it is clear that the scale of payments so far adopted does n i mean any intolerable burden to the Germans, whose paying power is lur greater to-day than ii was e’.en in 11’—T. \\ itb Liiis experience to guide them, the members ol the new ReporaL.on.s C< Mini ittee should be able to seLtle definitely and Finally the total amount of Germany's obligations and tile means by which thes- can be most satisfactorily discharged in the host interests of aii concerned.