GERMAN REPARATIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 December 1922, Page 6

GERMAN REPARATIONS.

REPORTED GERMAN DEFAULT. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright PARIS, Dec. 27. M. Poincare replying to questions in the Senate stated that the Government on December 22 asked the Reparations Commission to state whether Germany had defaulted in the deliveries in kind. The commission, by a majority, agreed to the affirmative, also that the Allies could take measures in concert or individually. The question of individual or collective action would probably form part of the programme of the January Conference. LONDON. Dec. 27. The Daily Telegraph’s Paris correspondent attaches importance to the decision by the Reparations Commission, Sir John Bradbury alone dissenting, to declare Germany a defaulter in respect to timber and telegraph poles ordered by France under the agreement for reparations in kind. The correspondent points out that the fact of the decision will be the notification of Germany’s voluntary default to the Allied Powers, which, on the eve of the Premiers’ meeting, will serve as a pretext if any other Power wishes to take exception to Germany’s action. The amount involved is only £BO,OOO, but the majority of the commission is seizing the opportunity to demonstrate Germany’s determination not to pay. '1 lie Temps, declaring that the German wealthy classes refused to contribute to reparations, points out that, while the German tax on coal for the cup-ent financial year ought to have realised 6000 millions sterling, only 850 millions were collected for seven months of the year. While the forced loan should have provided 50 millions sterling it only brought in £200,000 and cannot possibly result in more than five million. The German Government is incapable of making pay those who ought to pay most. France cannot therefore trust anything hut realities while these are being achieved. She was forced to agree to the moratorium and can only choose between accepting ruin o pledges. France will, as a matter of fact, accept pledges.