The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-09-20
The French Indemnity Payment.


The announcement Of the completion Of
the payments by France Of the war indem-
nifty fund 10 Germany deserves moro than
passing notice. 1t has been a huge e.
nancial labor, most successfully performed,
and, what is very unusual with such obli-
cations, the final settlement has been made
considerably in advance Of the date origi-
nally fixed by the treaty of peace. The
amount Of the indemnity was prescribed
by the preliminary treaty concluded at
Versailles in February, 1871. BY that
convention France stipulated to pay five
milliards of francs, about one thousand
millions Of dollars, of which the first in
stalment of one milliard was to be paid
during 1871, and the balance within three
years after the date of the ratification of
the treaty. Owing to various causes,
chiefly the Communist troubles at Paris,
the defnitive treaty off peace was not signed
at Frankfort until late in the spring of
1871, and in it several changes were made
in the dates and methods of payment of
the various instruments Of the indemnity
fund, the final day of payment being fixed
on May LIST, 1874. To insure the good
faith of France the German troops remain
ed in occupation of the forts around Paris
and of various departments of the country,
the pledge being given that the territory
would be evacuated in proportion to the
payments made.
Few persons at the close of that extra
ordinary war believed that France within
the stipulated time would be able to raise
the large sum demanded of her. That
Germany might ultimately have to extort
the money by force of arms was every
where believed, and the Communist out
break and the difficulties Of re-establishing
n stable government in France encouraged
this view. The skeptics, however, did not
know the energy of the French people and
the recuperative powers Of their country.
The German occupation was constant
thorn, singing the proud Gauls to the
quick. They were ready to do anything
to get rid Of their conquerors, and this
probably was the chief spur to the ener-
gctic efforts that were made for the pay
ment of the indemnity. However they
differed upon other questions, the French
people were an unit ON this. Their hopes
and prayers were all directed to the great
national object of getting rid of the Ger
mans, and, to expedite their withdrawal,
repeated supplementary treaties were made
which advanced the times Of payment of
the instruments.
BY the latest of these conventions, signed
in March last, September 9th, 1873, was
fixed as the date of final payment, the
measure being ratified unanimously by the
French Assembly, so anxious were all the
deputies to carry out the National will
With tho delivery of every fresh install
ment of the money the German line of
occupation became narrower. In Septem-
Der, 1871, they evacuated the forts around
Paris and the four departments adjacent
to that city, thus beginning the retrograde
movement Fortress after fortress and
department after department were aban.
doned as the payments were made, until
the opening of this summer found the
Germans in possession only of four depart
ments near the eastern frontier, and of the
fortresses Of Nancy, Belfort and Verdun.
As the conqucrors reccded, the delight of
the French found its best vent in renewed
efforts to pay the balance of the money,
and in midsummer, but one hundred mil
lions Of dollars being still due, the Ger
mans abandoned all the French territory
excepting Verdun, which they were to
hold until the payment was completed
On August 9th, fifty millions were paid
and on September 9th, the closing payment
restored France once more to freedom, the
Germans being allowed until September
10Th to make this freedom u reality, by
cvacuating yerdun and withdrawing en-
tirely from French territory.
France, it will thus be seen, has per-
formed her great task nearly eight months
in advance of the time originally prescrib-
ed, and within two years and seven months
after the conclusion of the treaty which
created the obligation. The other heavy
payments made by France and the losses
suffered by her in this extraordinary CON
aict with Germany aggregate with the in
demnity fund two thousand millions of
dollars. To effect this vast outlay the
Germans gave France seventy millions of
dollars for the assumption by France of
all obligations that might arise from claims
by the private owners or creditors of the
railways in the ceded provinces of Alsace
and i Th,1 q l.. =.