The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1920-07-03
Entente to Meet
Germans at Spa
By Charles MCCAIN

0y OitAhAeo nANgsfAFAt
AGJnited Press Staff Correspondent
LoNDoN, June 20. (By Mail -
Spa, where entente and German dele
gates will meet for tire first time on
basis OF equality, probably will be
the last inter-allied conclaye of major
proportions, dealing with the Versail-
les peace treaty. The tentative date
was July 5.
international developments since
the San Reno conference, have been
such that Premier Lloyd George is
extremely anxious that Spa shall
wind up bargaining" insofar as the
German treaty Is concerned. Since
the Italian cabinet crisis and the
Frankfort occupation it has become
evident that cooperative action
among the allies is scheduled to be
more and more difficult. Economic
and commercial rivalry between the
European countries, regardless of
past affiliations, will again develop.
Individual action, except in the case
of Turkey and Hungary, with whom
treaties have yet to be concluded, will
enable each country 10 "mend its own
fences"
While, according to officials close
to Lloyd George, the German delega-
ton at Spa will be met as equals and
will be permitted to present their own
case in their own way, they come
with the distinct understanding that
the peace treaty is not to be modified
In any way.
"The meeting can be compared to
conference between two litigants,
one OF whom has secured a legal judg-
ment against the other. Both agree
that the judgement is valid and Just.
The matter to be discussed is, how
It best can be collected" This was
the analogy drawn by a British off
Ger, who will play an important part
at Spa.
The German delegates, according
to we'll informed officials, Will be re-
auested to make the first overtures.
Millerand and Lloyd George, it is be-
lieved, have already decided upon
maximum and minimum demands.
Should the German estimate Of their
ability to pay fall within these limits,
the conference will rapidly come to a
close. On the other hand, if Ger
many's offer is below the estimate of
the entente, her delegates will be CIV
en- an opportunity to advance argu-
ments AID proofs in favor of their
claims.
The general concensus among f-
nancial authorities at the present
writing is that Germany will repeat
the proposition made at Paris last
fall by Brockdorf- Rantzau, namely
$5,000,000,000 pounds (nominally
$4,000, 000,000), with reservations
bringing this sum down to apporx-
As<nAtely $7,500,000,000. Any such
8offer will be summarily dismissed 4
Y Various estimates of what the ALA
lied reparation demands will be have
been made. The most often mention
ed in the British press is $25,000,
OO0,0 while the French experts
place 1t at $4,000, 100000. 0rigi-
nal demands made by France at the
Versailles conference amounted to
$50, 900, 100000, while Keynes APP
praisal Of Germany's liabilities scarce
" exceeds $10,000,000,000, Lloyd
George, it is understood, has been
greatly influenced by Keynes deduc-
tions.
Infringements of the treaty, va
ried and many, will also be subject
for discussion at Spa. This exceps
the disarmament clauses, which the
allies decided at San Reno and the
Hythe conference should not be al
lowed to lag, Any question concern
ing disarmament not already under
consideration will, of course, be per-
manently disposed Of.
Advance preparations at Spa for
the entertainment of the visitors have
been completed. The British dele
CATION win be located at the Hotel
Balmoral, while Premier Lloyd
George will be the private guest of i
the Baron de Crahwez, burgomeister
of Spa. The French mission will
stay at the Grand Hotel Britannique
tho American mission, If it appears,
at the Hotel Rossette, and the Italian
Belgian and Japanese missions at
private houses. The conference
meets at the Chateau de la Fraineuse,
the residence of M. Pelzer-Craux.
Failure Of the United States to par
ticipate at Spa will be great setback
Cor the entente. The French hope Of
immediate payment" is based upon
the possibility of capitalizing Ger
many's PREPARATION promises and dis
posing of the German bonds in the
United States and Britain. Consider
able. wealth is in private hands in