The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-02-05

envy Must Pay Allies Soon as Posi-
BILE
PARIS, Feb. "a universal tax, the
proceeds of which would be put into
common fund along with the indemni,
ties Germany should be made to pay,
IS proposed by Senior Crespi of the Ital
ian delegation to the peace conference,
in the proposal he has made for the es-
Establishment of single financial
front for the allies The tax would
furnish interest on that portion of the
debts of the allies which Germany had
not paid and provide sinking fund
for ultimately cancelling the debts.
Senior Crespi, who said his proposal
for single allied financial front had
been well received by allied ministers
asserted that his great point was that
the central empires as a whole must be
forced to compensate the allies for the
war damages they have suffered Re-
sponsibility was collective, he said, and
all the enemy states would have to pay
in proportion to their wealth.
Son the other hand, he continued,
| all the allies have suffered immense
losses and they must all benefit from
the indemnities which the enemy is to
pay. Each one should receive in proper
ton to the effort it has made. Thus
smaller states that have spent more
than larger ones in comparison to their
wealth ought to receive larger indemni-
ties in proportion Absolute fairness
ought to be preserved in the division
of indemnities.
The simplest way to carry out the
actual distribution would be to put the
entire fund into a common pool, which
could be periodically apportioned
among the different nations. The fund
should be augmented by taxes of a uni
versal character levied on all states,
enemy, allied or neutral. Such taxes
! might be levied ON exports and imports
and also on coal and raw materials. 1t
seems to me only fair that countries
v hich have benefited, and even grown
rich, through the suffering and saeri-
ices of the allies should be made to
Help compensate the allies. Such tax
would not weigh more heavily on one
!
l]c universal
1.-The enemy should he forced to pay
Oft as soon as possible the allies debts.
he international tax would furnish in
ferest on the rest and a sinking fund
!. for paying it off eventually. In my
, opinion the enemy ought to be allowed
TO pay, not only in gold, but in raw ma
feriala and finished products. Part OF
! their debt might be covered by bonds
1.-The supply of raw materials is an
other important question to be consid
cred. II they are furnished to enemy
countries at the same time and at the
same prices as to the allies the Aus
TRANS and Germans, whose industrial
plants have not been destroyed would
reach foreign markets quicker and un
der better conditions than would b'
possible for the allies. This we mus
avoid at all costs I. therefore, propos,
that in the distribution of raw materi
ais allied countries may be served be
fore enemy countries.
Another important question In
yolved is that of the length of tn
working day. A days labor in Ger
I many before the war was very long
/ If it continues so now, they will b.
/ able to produce more cheaply than w
H can Therefore. international laws OF
4 this question have become essential
H " Another problem is that of ex
Il change between different nations
Il consider that the present state contro
Il Of import and export trade must con
Il tinue for some time.