The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-12-13
LONDON BANKER
ESTIMATES HUNS
MUST PAY SEVEN
and HALF BILLION
Belgium Slated for Indem-
nifty to Amount of
ST ,4OO,OOO,O0O

London, Nov. 25.-( Correspondence
of the Associated Press. One Lon
don banker estimates that Germany
will have to pay to the allies for
reparation and restitution about ST.
500,00O,000. Calculated on a five per
cent basis, with a one per cent sink
ing fund, this would mean an an
nual charge on, the German revenue
of $3.50, 000, 900. AZ He says there can be
no question Of Germany's ability to
meet this demand.
1t is impossible, he says, discussing
the subject in a newspaper article, to
arrive at any approximate figure as
toAdarnages and robberies in the in
vaded territory. For Belgium" the
article continues, IT would put the
amount of indemnity at $1,400,000,
600 of which sum levies on Belgian
towns account for something like
$500, 100000. I know Of another es-
innate for Belgium which is as high
as $4,000, 900, 900, and a Belgian of
some authority estimates the amount
at $S00,000,000."
With regard to France he says
one cannot reckon the loss suffered,
but considering that the war has
been waged for the most part on
French territory, and in the center
of her industrial area, we may put
the figure at 100000, 000."
taly's damage is computed at $780,
100000. The same amount is set as
Rumania's bill, including the loss of
quantities Of foodstuffs and damage
to oil wells and other property. He
thinks that 100000 900 would cover
Serbia's loss, and like sum prob
ably would reimburse England for
damages caused by air raids and
bombardments.
Shipping Losses Heavy.
Shipping losses are then discussed.
81 estimate" he says, 'the loss of
ships in figure Of tonnage at nine
million. and, taking the average
value of $500 ton, this would figure
value of cargoes at, say, $500, 100000
we have the total of $4,000, 000, 000d
for Great Britain alone. The ship
ping losses Of the allies estimate at
S500,000,000
Il have heard an estimate which
places the total of the bill against
Germany at $4,000, 100000 which,
like my own calculation, is of course
to some extent necessarily hypothe-
teal. But would put the figure
myself at $7.500000,000, which does
not, of course, include any part Of the
cost of the war"
Regarding Germany's finances he
calls attention to the last prewar
budget presented to the reichstag,
which showed revenue of $s75, 000,-
900. The estimate for the army was
$292, 100000, and for the navy $107,-
500,000-totai $400,000,00.
Eliminating the expenditure for
ornaments" the article goes on,
this would allow Germany to pay
approximately the interest and sink
ing fund on the $7,500,000,00O COM
pensation, leaving the balance Of
revenue, whatever it might be, to
meet the cost of conducting the en-
pire and paying the interest on her
loans, which amounted early in the
present year to $4,000, 900, 900, a sum
which has, OF course, been substan-1
TALLY Increased SINCE
In order to meet the allies bill Of
damages the writer says, at may be
that Germany would have to suspend
payment of interest on her own war
Ioans-I don't say she would repud-
late this obligation
He got her name and address In
Red Cross package and that was all
he knew about her. So he did the
thing that a lovesick soldier usually
does-wrote her a sweet little letter
telling how he longedN to correspond
with some one. How did he know
but that a real romance might start?
This was her answer:
II think this. war is horrid, am
doing my share j buy war savings
stamps aand eat corn bread, which I
don't like. Also am learning to
knit"
But the cruel part is that she
added: Il am ten years old"
The landlady of a well-known
boarding house always made it a