REPARATIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 April 1921, Page 5

REPARATIONS.

BRITAIN SUPPORTS FRANCE. ftERMAN PROPOSALS INADEQUATE. NjO MENTION OF PAYMENT 3y Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received April .25, 5.5 p.m. London, April 24. It was semi-officially announced after Mr. Lloyd George had received newspaper men at Hythe that Britain greatly sympathises with the French proposals and will support the occupation of the Ruhr iktrict unless Germany fulfills her treaty obligations. Germany’s last Note is quite inadequate. It makes no definite proposals for the payment of the balance of reparations, still less the £600.000,000 due on May 1. Germany’s proposal to supply material and labor for the restorai tion of the devastated areas will be weli come, but France has been applying to Germany tor six months for material ■without result. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

TWO PREMIERS CONFER. QUESTION OF BRITAIN’S SUPPORT. AN ECONOMIC DISADVANTAGE. Received April 25, 5.5 p.m. London, April 24. A Hythe communique states there was a long conference this afternoon, at which the French proposals were discussed, but no decision was arrived at because it was merely an informal discussion between the two Premiers (Mr. Lloyd George and M. Briand), and no decision can be reached until the meeting with the rest of the Allies. The Supreme Council has been summoned for Saturday next at Paris if the coal strike has then ended, but ptherwise it will meet at London later. The conversation at Hythe was purely a diplomatic contest between the two Premiers, the military and economic experts of both countries being left at home. . The main question at issue was whether Britain should give active or moral support to France’s determination to occupy the Ruhr. Britain is faced with the problem whether she will Jose more in trade than she will ever receive in indemnities. As one publicist puts it, in cases of international (default, it is one thing to seize goods but quite another thing to transmute (them into cash. Other quarters view the seizure of the Ruhr with apprehension, as inflicting further injury on the •British coal industry, with increased disorganisation of exchange.

CREATING HATRED. There were two views presented to the French Government last week. The ssr.«t was that suggested by M. Seydoux, the French economic expert, at Brussels Conference, in which there should be Allied control of German exports and coal, with a threat of military occupation if Germany obstructed. The second scheme was the definite occupation of the Ruhr. The fact that on Friday (experts consulted Marshal Foch and the military leaders, led to-the opinion that the second plan had been adopted. Moderate feeling in England does not go all the way with M. Briand’s attitude, that the time for talk is past While making due allowance for France’s great suffering, there is a feeling that she is creating in Germany hatred as great as was generated in France over 1870. It is reported that Mr. Asquith, Lord Robert Cecil, and Air. G. H. Barnes have sent a memorandum to Mr. Lloyd George appealing to him not to lend assistance to further sanctions, If France is fully determined to occupy the Ruhr, Mr. Lloyd George may find himself in a diplomatic impasse. It is believed he nourished hopes of an eleventh hour acceptable proposition from Germany.

GERMANY’S GOLD. Certain circles view Germany’s latest proposal with regard to the devasated areas as a process which will ultimately result in the expansion of German industrialism. Reconstruction by German workmen with German materials will enormously assist her unemployment problem without ameliorating similar conditions in France. There is some confusion oker Germany’s attitude over the Reichsbank gold. The report from Brussels is erroneous, through the wrong interpret*' tion of a telephone message between the Reparations Commission at Paris and the Foreign Office at Brussels. The fact is that Germany has rejected the demand on the ground that it was private money, and she points out that under the Versailles Treaty she is prohibited from exporting gold before May 1. She is willing to prolong the treaty prohibition until October.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

GERMANY AND AMERICA. BERLIN CABINET’S PROBLEM. Received April 25, 5J p.m Paris, April 24. The German Cabinet meeting terminated this morning after a long sitting and it was unable to agree on the nature of the propositions to be sent to President Harding. Cabinet will re-assemble on Monday.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. NEW GERMAN PROPOSALS. AN INTERNATIONAL LOAN. Received .April 25, 11.5 p.m. Berlin, April 24. The Government has sent new proposals to President Harding for transmission to the Allies, including the payment of a larger sum by means of an international loan, as well as labor and materials for rebuild ng devastated areas, and taking over the Allies’ indebtness to America.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ANOTHER CONFERENCE. Q NEW PROPOSALS CONSIDERED Received April 25, 11.50 p.m. New York, April 25. .De dimes’ Washington correspondent lays it i« understood if the Allies regard

Germany’a reparation proposals as a proper basis for discussion the next step will be a conference of the Allies and Germany, at which the United States will have a representative, but not as ah umpire or mediator. The United States will sit with the Allies. —Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn,