THE TERMS.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 February 1921, Page 5

THE TERMS.

GERMANY MUST DESTROYING GREAT ARMY. PAYING FOR WAR DAMAGE. PREMIER'S SPIRITED SPEECH. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received Feb. 6, 5.5 p.m. London, Feb. 5. Mr. Lloyd George was presented with the freedom of Birmingham. Referring to the Paris Conference, he said Bismarck in his task forty-two years ago was concerned with only one State, while the Paris Conference had to Settle the destiny of many States, and carve out new Republics. It would have dismayed the old German statesman to settle the disarmament and reduction of the most powerful military machine the world had ever seen to a force of 100,000; and, further, to decide how many millions of indemnity the Empire which Bismarck founded must pay for the devastation it had wrought. The Allies arrived at a complete agreement within a week.

He could say nothing as to what was done in regard to Turkey, and it was also quite impossible to give an idea what was to be done for the reconstitution of Central Europe, but trade would not flourish until they* were able to restore settled conditions there. RESPECT FOR TREATIES. Mr. Lloyd George said it was not merely the signature of peace that was required, but the recreation of the atmosphere of peace and the restoration of real neighborliness among nations. The first condition of that was that peace treaties must be respected. “We mean to see that treaties are observed—a challenge was war in suspense,” added Mr. Lloyd George. “The Allies may be trusted to adapt the provisions of a treaty to any new conditions arising, but the treaty must stand.” There were notably two conditions that Germany must respect. Firstly, there were the treaty stipulations in regard to disarmament. They could no longer tolerate the terrible equipments and armaments. He was glad to say that since the armistice Germany had made great progress in disarming. They could picture the terrible machine she had built up when he told them that since the war she had surrendered 31,000 cannon, 10,000 trench mortars, 33.000.000 shells, 70.000 machine guns, 3,000,000 rifles, and 411,000,000 cartridges. Altogether Germany had surrendered by far the greater part of her equipment, but she had still far too many materials of war, and the process must be completed.

“PRESENTED OUR BILL.” She still had a large number of armed men forming irregular combinations. There was something in her excuse that there had been something like revolution, and she must protect her own people, but while making allowances for this the Allies were determined that Germany must comply with the Treaty, especially with regard to the machinery for turning out cannon. Mr. Lloyd George proceeded: “In the coming reparations Germany must not be allowed to. pay in a way that would do greater injury to the country receiving the payments. Germany, bankrupt as she is for the moment, can pay considerable sums inside her own country, but the moment she tries to pay outside she will be confronted by the exchange problem. This problem had baffled the experts when considering the indemnify, but we have presented our bill, and Germany does not like it. The bill is framed on the scale of Germany’s prosperity. If she was not prosperous she could not pay; if she is prosperous she can pay, and must pay. We started on a comparatively low figure, realising Germany’s difficulty, and knowing that present conditions she can only pay the minimum.” He believed Herr von Simons to be honest and sincere. Herr von Simons complained that he had not received the full bill “Well,” said Mr. Lloyd George, :r he can have the full bill; it is quite ready.” Let Germany settle down to peace, continued the Premier. Once Germany and its people got their minds away from war they would beoome prosperous. He advised Herr von Simons to accept the bill. It was intolerable that a country which had inflicted damages while escaping damage itself should escape with lighter taxation than the victims of its wanton attack. THE 1914 SPIRIT. “We cannot allow that,” added Mr. Lloyd George. “The whole German people were solid behind the war in 1914, and if they had won they would gladly have shared the booty.” It was not a question of imposing economic slavery on Germany, but: Was France to be burdened while Germany escaped? No; the demands were righteous, and must be met. If Herr von Simons had fair counter-proposals the Allies would consider them, but if it was merely an attempt to evade payment the Allies would not put up with that. Although Herr von Simons was fair and reasonable at Spa, he (Mr. Lloyd George) had an uneasy feeling that the 1914 men were behind him. He could hear their .mutterings drowning Herr von Simons’ tones. Nothing would give the Allied peoples the desire to take strong action except a feeling that we had the same Germany to deal with, desirous of treating treaties as mere scraps of paper The Allies were as united as ever in their purpose. (Cheers.)-—Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assn.

ANGER IN GERMANY. MINERS STRIKE AS PROTEST. TOWN GOES IN MOURNING. Received Feb. 6, 5.6 p.m. Berlin, Feb. 5. The indemnity terms have angered the workers in the mining districts, and great labor demonstrations have been held. . .< a Ten thousand copper miners in tne Masefield area are striking as a while the ooel minere in the Ruhr'district are determined to do as lrtt*e

dered the town to go into mourning. Miners in Silesia are refusing to work overtime, as arranged by the inter - Allied Commission, declining fifty per cent, increase in wages. They also refuse to accept food which the commission is providing at a cost below current prices.—Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assn. THE RIGHTS OF FRANCE. FULFILLED IN THE INDEMNITY Received Feb. 6, 5.5 p.m. Paris, Feb. 5. Although the Chamber had coldly received M. Briand’s explanation of the Allied Conference’s work in fixing the indemnity, he delivered such a brilliant, spirited, and logical reply to M. Tardieus’ attack that the Government is certain of a large majority vote of confidence. M. Briand declared that his aim has been to consolidate accord between the Allies without tearing France’s rights to pieces. The Conference, at one critical moment, might have ended without result, but' it was absolutely necessary that the Conference should reach a definite conclusion, and the value of that conclusion was shown by the outcry from the German Press and manufacturers.—Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assn.