The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 1919. WAR BILLS.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 March 1919, Page 4

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 1919. WAR BILLS.

Prom time to time since the armistice was signed there have been claims put forward by the Allies for the payment by Germany of such indemnities as will be within her power to make. It is recognised that it would be a matter of impossibility for the Germans to defray not only the cost of reparation and restoration of all the territory, buildings and other incidental damages caused by the war, including nerial and submarine activities, but also the many other coats incident lo the war, though there are certain claims which the enemy may justly be called upon to satisfy. The Peace Conference has to decide whether Germany shall be called upon to pay indemnities, and, if so, the nature and extent thereof, together with the manner i of payment. It is quite possible: that the American delegates will be opposed to the exaction of indemnities, but the justice of the demand is so obvious that, except nn principle, no valid reason can be urged for allowing Germany 1 to escape the penalties due to her having forced the war on the Allies. Muoh interest centres on the I

attitude which the British delegates will take on this question. It is, therefore, interesting to note that Mr. Bonar Law, in a speech delivered early in December last, said:

"Germany lias caused this war deliberately, and there is going to be placed a- burden on nations that wished to live peacefully with all mankind that will be felt for generations. Docs anybody doubt that, to whatever extent our enemy can pay, it is right at:d proper that she should pay? We have appointed for ourselves a committee to examine that matter coldly, clearly and scientifically, and to crivo us the result. But I think we ought to go a. little further. We propose an intor-Allied to go into the question as to what amount can be paid by Germany without injuring the Allies. When we have found out that we shall take steps to secure tho pay-

ment." There is no uncertainty in this statement, and its force is emphasised by the fact that at the recent general election in Britain the indemnity question was one of the main issues, and the Government emphatically pledged itself to make Germany pay. There is no doubt as to the French view, for France lias not forgotten the huge indemnity she had to pay to Germany after the Franco-Prus-sian war, and a cable that has just come from Paris puts down the French war cost at £12.000,000,000, which must include many items that are not strictly chargeable against the enemy. Accordirifr to Sir Jas. Allen the Dominion has spent over £55,000,000 in fighting Germany, added to which is the current expenditure, the cost of demobilisation, land settlement, financial aid to soldiers, and pensions, the capitalised cost of which has been estimated at £12,000.000, so that New Zealand's claim should work out at between eighty and ninety millions. "Who should pay this bill? Germany, who ran it up, or the people of the Dominion who were forced to incur it? The answer is obvious. To restrict Germany's penalty to the actual cost of restoring in vaded territories would be to place a premium on the greatest crime in history. If Germany exacted from France an indemnity sufficient to pay her war costs twice over, surely she cannot justly complain at having to pay for the actual cost of the Allies, even though it totals so huee a sum as £50,000,000,000. Reparation and restoration necessarily come first, and under this head the bill of France and Belgium must be very Large, probably over £1.200,000,000, the claims of the other Allies amounting to a further £800,000,000 or more if shipping losses an included, as they very well might be. It may be assumed that these claims, at least, will be rigidly enforced. Then comes the question of the expenses incurred by the Allies in the conduct of th war. It is here that the figures soar to a great height and may reach £50,000,000,000, which at five per cent, represents an annual payment for interest of £2,500,000,000. It is certain that Germany, even if stripped bare, could not pay this amount annually, and yet the Allies from now forward must pay it to those who lent them the money. The Allies, however, might justly require the rigid enforcement of th ir claims. Several proposals have been evolved for facilitating the paymen of the indemnities, o? which a large sum will have to be in gold. Germany has immense natural v< sources. Her iron fields and coal mines, even after the cession oi, French Lorraine, will still be among the richest in Europe; she has copper, lead, zinc, silver and potash deposits of great importance. An authoritative estimate places the gross value of this wealth at £250.000,000,000 ■•><; least, and, according to the report of a committee of experts her wealth is greater than was estimated so that she will be able tc pay more than at first appeared probable. The Allies might reasonably require German mineral and chemical resources to be surrendered until full payment, of the indemnities has been made, arr] thereby obtain just compensation' without unduly stimulating her manufactures and export trade tc our detriment. France will onll be too glad to receive possession of the Saar valley. Austria, Bulgaria and Turkey should also In made to contribute a fair share towards the indemnities. It \? for the Peace Conference, tc decide.