Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-04-17
It Represents What Germany
Must Pay Allied and Associ-
ated Governments for War
Damage and Losses
PLUS OTHER BILLIONS
The First Twenty Billions Must he
Paid within Two Years and Second
Payment Of Forty Billions During
30 Years beginning in 1921


Press). One hundred billion gold marks
is the amount Germany must pay the al
lied and associated governments for losses
and damage caused in this war, plus other
billions to be determined by a special
commission on which Germany Is to be
represented
This is the final and definite con-
clusion which has been reduced to
writing after weeks of negotiation which
took a wide range and involved frequent
changes and notifications. The payment
Of the 100. OO0, 900 gold marks Is to be d.
vided into three distinct amounts as fol-
lows:
First-Twenty billions within two years
Second-Forty billions during 30 years
beginning in 1921.
Third-Forty billions when a commission
shall determine how 1t shall be done.
In view Of the fluctuations through which
the negotiations have passed, an authori-
tative statement was obtained to-day con-
corning the final terms of the settlement.
This sums up the conditions as follows:
Germany Is at the outset held generally
responsible for losses and damages In
accordance with President Wilson's IA
points and the allied response at the
time Of the armistice was concluded. To
determine the extent Of the payment
under this responsibility a commission
is set up to take testimony, assemble
data and arrange all details of the pay
ments from the enemy and distribution
among the allied and associated powers.
While the commission will administer
the details Of the payments, sufficient
is known to permit the determination that
an initial payment will be required Of
N Ill ,1xIyg 10 txnn
years without interest. 1t also has been
determined that 40 billion gold marks
shall be payable in bonds extending over
a period of 30 years, beginning 1921, with
a sinking fund beginning in 1926.
These 40 billion marks draw two one
ne-half per cent. interest from 1921 to
1926, and five per cent. interest after
1926
In addition to the foregoing payments
Germany will also be required to deliver
additional bonds for 40 billion marks
when the commission determines that this
shall be done. These three payments of
20. 10 and 40 billions bring the total to
100 0O0. 100000 gold marks.
Beyond this total, the commission il
empowered to fix anything further that
may be required to cover Germany's in
debtedness.
"In other words" concluded the emf
nent American authority who framed the
terms and furnished the foregoing sum-
mary, "a commission Is set up with
power to collect from Germany to the
utmost of her capacity to pay within the
limitation of her indebtedness.
1t ia in the gold mark that all pay
ments are expressed in the final terms.
This excludes depreciation paper mark
and fixes the standard Of payment in
gold. The gold mark is worth about the
same as the English shilling, and be-
fore the war was quoted at 1882 Ameri-
can cents.
The allotment Of the 100000. OOO 900 marks
among the allied and associated powers
has not yet been finally decided. but a
tentative arrangement makes the allot-
ment of France about SIS per cent. Of the
total. Great Britain's allotment between
twenty and thirty per cent. and the allot-
ment of the United States between two
and five per cent
The text of the opening clause of the
terms whereby Germany is held generally
responsible reads substantially as fol-
lows:
| 1.-THE allied and associated powers af-
firm. and Germany admits responsibility
for all losses and damages of the allied
and associated governments and their
nationals from the unjustifiable warfare
waged by the enemy power against the
allied and associated governments"
Then follows a provision for the COM
mission on payments. and extended de-
tails of the operations Of the commits.
sion.