SHARING THE REPARATIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 July 1921, Page 4

SHARING THE REPARATIONS.

The equitable adjustment of the Empire’s portion of the amount to be paid by Germany for reparations necessarily involved the consideration of many factors, and. it was inevitable that some common basis must be fixed that would ensure as near as possible a fair deal all round. According to a recent cable it is understood that the problem has been solved ’by adopting a percentage basis, but how the percentages were arrived at is not apparent. Possibly it was left to actuarial experts to submit suggestions on this point, and the result of their calculations averaged. According to the percentage basis mentioned in the Press cable, and assuming that if Australia is entitled to four and a half per cent., then New Zealand should receive per cent., the division of the £6,600,000,000 would work out thus: —

The Empire’s share .. 1,452,000,000 Britain, 85 per cent. . . 1,234,200,000 Australia, 4J per cent. 65,340,000 Canada, per cent. .. 65,340,000 New Zealand 1J per cent 21,780,000 Other Dominions, 3

per cent 43,560,000 If New Zealand obtains less than 1A per cent., the figures will, of course, be smaller. It may be, however, that New Zealand’s share is included in that of Australia and that the cable should have stated Australasia instead, of Australia. If so it is possible the Dominion would only receive'about half of the above amount. It is also difficult to understand wby Australia and Canada should receive the same amount. No doubt the apportionment will be satisfactorily arranged in the end, though it would have been infinitely more gratifying had all the shares been fixed at the eame time. Spread ofer a number of years, the payments will necessarily be on the sma.l side, but when the exact figures are made known it will help the Government in arranging its finances. It has to be remembered that an appreciable portion of the reparations amount will not be in actual cash, but in kind, partly :n confiscated German property.