Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-04-02
New Standpoint Offers
Some Prospect of
Agreement
FRENCH TO HAVE
TEMPORARY CONTROL
SAAR COAL FIELDS
New Plan 0vercomes Oh iection
to Annexation Similar TO
German Annexation of Al.
SAGE and Lorraine in 1870
VIII Take Five Years to Re-
store Mines to Normal

PARIS. April l-fBN the Associated
P"esst-The Francu-Gerrnan IRON
ucr. winch IS still the foremost sub
Ject before he Council OF -Four, is
being presented now from a new
standpoint which offers some pros
peel oil agreement.
The first plan was 70 give France
economic control OF the Saar Goa
nelQs so Is TO Offset Damage 20 the
coal mines IN northern France. France
was not 10 have political control over
The large German population N The
Saar valley which would remain with
Germany. This proved BILE
ana one OF the chief causes of the
Council Of Four's inactIon. The main
objection was The divided control. by
winch France would he unable TO
OPERATE the mines effectively. prevent
strikes ana enforce authority where
The Germans were exercising puiiti-
cai coutroI.
The new plan. therefore. seeks 20
combine French ano pO!Iti-
cal authority -oI d temporary period,
until The productive capacity OF the
mines in Northern France is
INDUSTRIAL production revived and he
prostration u 10 The WEI. II is esti-
mated thai five years Will be ye-
CURED 70 restore he mines 70 nor
NAL and thls probably gives an idea
OF the length of the proposed JONI
control by FRANCE.
TIE 1ac1 shat the control would he
temporary would the OBJ
lection Of annexation similar 10 The
German annexation.
The proposal was first announced
Is concerning the Saar region only.
but II rs regarded now as equally
applicable 20 the left bank OF the
Rhine as d POSSIBLE BASIS Of agree
menI.
A new phase Of the question Of
PREPARATIONS Il also being presented in
the Proposal Q avoid stating II the
treaty any specific total ana thus es-
cape controversy Yer The iarEeness
OF sriailness of tht noun 1t is
sald that tHic Is possible ny defining
the character IF the payments over
d period Of years. without precisely
defining what The Total would reach.
and efforts are being mao ! O find d
formula winch would express This
idea.
il IS understood that the plan <
considered advantageous chiefly foi
friendly countries. where eXpecta-
lions have bren aroused Of d total
rnuch larger than Is likely 10 he al
lowed.
The IMPRESSION Is gaming ground
thai . formula VIII 10 found covering
rcparation without naming d figure.
the suggestion hcInE mad OF Il ON
mission to determine The Losses Of Tie
different countries.
Marshal Toch attended She early
session Of The council before leaving
for Spa 10 meet The German pienipo-
Tertiary regarding he !anGIng Of
Potash troops IN DanziG.
The foreign ministers met TODAY
and ~disapproV IA" proposal q
George Nico|l EaTn"a. The British del
eSate. for d p,cnary meeting Of h
Conference on Saturday.
King AIbert OF Belgium. vino az
rived today. viii probably SCI Pres
jden, Wilson regarding Belgian inter-
csts
Most OF The day a. the Council
meeting was i've uvCr 70 the mai
ter of the Rhine frontier n repair
ations. but the question OF the re-
spousihIIftY OF the former emperor
ano others for the wal WAS touched
on Tor the first time.
The chief remaining Details of me
-eua ratIons question involve The
points whether Fvench and British
pensions viii ne included n Uhrth-
or the specific mou demanded
would he narned IN the treaty. In
dica1ions from one source are thai
the total Will amour 20 between So
900. Un6. 600 and So. 900 000 900.