The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-03-10
ALL ALLIED CLAIMS
 FOR |NDEMN|T|ES IN
 EXCEPT FOR FRANCE
Belgium's Claim Will Run Between Thirty-Five and Forty Billion
 Francs
By Asseclsted Pres,

Paris, March 9.--All the allied bellig- erent nations have presented their bills for indemnities to the reparation com mission, except France. That of France will not be ready for another week.
 The amounts claimed by the various nations from Germany cannot yet be made public, the commission reserving to itself the right to give out the fig ures. It can be stated however, that Belgium's demands total between 35,- 0OO,0OO.OO0 and 45,000,000,00O francs 2O,000, 100000 francs for actual physical war destruction and the balance for thefts, unpaid for acquisitions, seizures and the like. This Is the largest figure claimed by any belligerent with the exception of France.
 There is one thing, however, of greater immediate importance, and ab- solutely vital to Belgium, than present. ing its indemnity bill" said one of the Belgian delegation to the correspond ent this afternoon. That question is priority for Belgium's claim on the first installment paid by Germany. If this cannot be guaranteed, then an inter allied loan must be made to Belgium immediately. Otherwise, the present stagnation will continue, and Belgiums s economic situation will be crippled and helpless for long years to come
 BELGIUM'S NEED
 This delegate placed the figure of Belgium's immediate needs at a credit of 10000, 100000 francs. He pointed to the clause in the allied powers guar antees to Belgium, entered into at Havre March 14, 1910, which reads:
 The allied and guaranteeing powers declare that when the time comes the Belgian government will he called upon to participate in the negotiation of end to hostilities before Belgium is re- established in it's Independence, eco homie and political, and is largely in- demn1ffed for the damages she has suf fered. They will lend Belgium their aid to insure the restoration of Bel gium's commercial and financial stand ing"
 This paragraph the Belgian delega- t1on is unanimous m interpreting as meaning that the allied powers would come to the financial rescue of Bell guim with loan or by offering her credit. M. Despret, a member of the commission on repararation told the Associated Press today that Belgium wanted an advance of 10000, 900, 900 francs as immediate working capital and preferential tariff for her ex-
 
 Belgian workmen will do the rest" Nj. Despret announced.
 EXPORT TARIFFS
 M Astey, member of the interna- tional waterways commission, has asked the commission that tariffs from exporting centres to Antwerp be made similar to those by way of Hamburg. figured according to tn emileage haul. He argued that what caused the great prosperity of Hamburg were preferen- tial rates and lower tariffs on export trade from insland German points to the German seaport than to Antwerp, even when the haul was much longer The Antwerp export trade, he added was 50 per cent German before the war uH
 Concerning the small powers repre- sentation on the financial and economic commissions, Paul Hymans, the Belgian foreign minister, told the correspond ent today that Belgium must be repre- sented on them. NJ. Hymans was ab- sent in Brussels when the vote nomi- hating the South American countries was taken last week. H esaid he thought Belgium was entitled to repre- sentation whether the small powers u,n al JoI1 to