REPARATIONS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 5 August 1929, Page 5

REPARATIONS

MOMENTOUS CONFERENCE BRITAIN’S ATTITUDE LIMIT OF CONCESSION REACHED (United Pres* Association.--By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) (Australian Ptcjb Association) THE HAGUE, -Ith Auelist. Delegates from various nations are. assembling to participate in a momentous Reparations Conference which opens on Tuesday in Parliament Buildings. Most of the delegates will stay at the nearby seaside resort, Cheveningen. Thirteen countries will be represented. The delegates’ stall's number several hundreds.

The proceedings inevitably will be protracted, and it is not expected that they will be concluded before the League Council meeting opens at Geneva on 29th.

It is understood that Mr Snowdcn will offer firm resistance to the proposal that a reduction should be made at tiio sole expense of Britain, which certainly will lose at least £2,500,000 per annum over a period of :57 years if the Young plan is adopted entirely. Moreover, German payments are divided into two categories, of which £33,000,000 is unconditional and the remainder under certain circumstances postponablcfinder the Young plan. The British share comes from the postponable portion of Germany's payments —in other words France and Italy, in addition to having tlioir share increased at the expense of Britain, are given a prior charge on certain payment, whereas Britain is not only allotted a smaller payment but is uncertain of getting even 'that. Further, Britain has never recovered and never will recover the difference of £200,000,000 between what thus far she has paid America and what she has received from Europe. Britain also objects to the continuance of deliveries in kind for a further deeennium and the fact that the directorate of the new International Bank includes more French and German than British. There are also the thorny questions of the Rhineland evacuation and the proposed Committee of Verification and Conciliation.

DOMINIONS REPRESENTATION

LONDON. 3rd August

The dominions have been given an opportunity of being directly represented at The Hague Reparations Conference, but few are availing themselves of the opportunity.' Australia and New Zealand are leaving their interests to British Treasury officials.