The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-21
SEEKS TO SPLIT
ALLIES ON SAAR
Counter Offer of Reparation
for Loss Of French Coal
to Be Made.
SCHEME BECOMES PLAIN
Unable to Supply Fuel Even
for It's Own Industries and
Railways.
SCHEME BECOMES PLAIN
By a stn6 Correspondent Of THE srs.


the decision of the Council Of Four to
detach the Sanr Valley from Germany
under such conditions that its annexa.
tion to France in fifteen years or less
Is practically certain will be the chief
point of contention when the German
peace delegates come to Versailles are
abundantly justified by the most re.
cent news from Germany. Foreign
Secretary Won Brockdorff- Rantzau ha
called in Count Won Bernstorff, the
expelled German Ambassador to the
United States, for lengthy consulta.
tions on how best to push Germany's
fight against this decision on the
ground that 1t is in direct violation of
President Wilson's fourteen prln.
ciples, on which only, the Germans
say, will they make peace.
The meaning of Count von Brock.
dorff-Rantzau's statement in his inter.
view with Karl II. Won Wiegand the
staff correspondent Of THE SuS in
Berlin, upon the Saar question is that
when the Germans arrive in Yer.
sailles on Friday of this week they
will make the following counter
proposition:
We have agreed TO the principle
OF reparation for the damage We
have done, and we admit we have
damaged the Lens coal fields and
will repay the damage by delivering
to France an amount of coal equiv
alent to the coal that France lost
through our occupation and de-
struction of Lens. The damage
we have done to the mines them
selves We will pay for. either
through more coal shipments or
some other means. What you pro-
pose Is annexation OF German soil,
and We will not consent to it,"
would Reopen Question.
The Germans hope Ivy making thi!
! proposal and appealing to Presden
I Wilson to reintroduce the wedge be
tween Premier Clemenceau and Presi
dent Wilson and reopen the Who'll,
J question OF what reparation for tn,
past and security for the future Franc,
Is 10 get from the peace treaty-whicl
! the Council of Four found to be th
most difficult question of all to settl
and which really is not settled yet
! President Wilson apparently has no
been able to settle II without commit
/ ting the United States TO furnish mill
tary aid to France, and that smack
dangerously of an entangling allianC.
That Premier Clemenceau. now tina
the Saar Valley has been promised (
France, would rclinquish 1t and accep
such an offer as is indicated from III
Germans Is inConceivable. but the Ger
mans believe they can trick the Prcsi
dent into trying TO persuade III
French Premier, with the immediat
result of awakening the fears whio
the Paris newspapers now are tryin
10 sllay. that Wilsonian humanitarian
ism and consideration for German
will result in leaving France vulnerabl
b 10 future attack.
Two facts that will help to max
clearer Premier Clemenceaus toot
and nail fight in the Council OF Fou
to obtain rcparatiOn and security f
France are contained in Justin Goo
arts report upon an eight hour da
and Frances economic situation.
France Lost 100000 Producer,
The first is that by the death or pei
, manent disablement Of nearly 1000, OF
FrcnchmCn the number Of the pr,
duCers OF France, whether workme
tradesmen or farmers, has been dimii
ished 8 per cent. Tho second is TIN
this means 10 France a loss of manu-
, labor one and half times that OF Il
Germans, two and n half times that
Belgium. three times that of Gre
t Britain or Italy and tifty-six tim
: that OF the United States.
There are indications that part
I the German plan will be an attem
10 persuade the Allies and associat,
Powers that they are unable to deliv
even large quantities OF coal becau
] OF the stoppage of industry. A hi
I of this IS contained in dispatches fro
: Frankfort saying that all railroi
traffic is likely to be stopped soon b
. cause of a shortage of coal and that
passenger trains will be run bctwc,
h April IS and 90.
Another bit of propaganda aimed
n the Americans is the agitation
G Essen for a mass emigration OF Ge
e man workmen. especially the mine
;, on the ground that Germany will
i. so handle lpped by the peace teri
that It will he impossible TO make
living there. The miners are urged
A.-a....i--. ~