Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-19
BRUSSELS FARLEY
NEARS AGREEMENT
Germans Now Willing to Meet
Reparations Bill Up
to Capacity.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
BRUSSELS. December 1S.-A series
OF conversations between the allied
representatives to the second financial
conference and the Germans this aft
mite conclusions as to what modifica-
lions Of the treaty clauses will satisfy
the Germans that they can execute the
treaty and pay reasonable PREPARATIONS.
There is satisfaction among the allies
because the proceedings seem to be
free from theoretical discussion and
determinations, and apparently both
sides are animated by sincere desires
to reach DEFINITE agreement as to
Germany's capacity to pay, q matter
which long has been the subject OF
widely opposed views.
The Germans are talking less OF the
hardships Of the treaty and are deal
ing. instead, with changes that will
enable them to pay and yet will be ac-
have given many concrete illustra-
tons Of how the lessening of the al
lies demands on certain points would
be an advantage to the allies and yet
enable Germany to get on her feet
Attitude Ii Favorable.
It is considered that the suggested
changes would not constitute actual
l..
under discussion deal with clauses in
which it is literally or theoretically
optional with the allies to require full
fillment or to renOunce their rights, as
in the case Of delivery Of new ship
ping.
at noon today until Monday to enable
the allied and German experts to give
all their time to private conversations
on the points raised in the conference
with the expectation of finally
list of changes in the
sary by the Germans il they are to
pay satisfactory amount of repara-
tons
The businesslike attitude OF Sig
mund Bergman and the other Ger
man experts and their apparent dis
position to reach q compromise have
created q favorable impression. 1t
Is remarked that the German attitude
contrasts favorably with that dis
played at former conferences. This
change In the German attitude was
marred by the single note OF studied
despair sounded the first day of the
conference by Rudolf Havenstein,
which was openly regretted by the
other German delegates, who declared
they felt the time had come to begin
settlement.
Discuss sequestration Of Property.
The Germans now have taken the
position, 1t is said, that the COM
promises they suggest are in the
allied interest quite as much as their
own. Todays session was devoted
to q discussion of the sequestration
Theodore Melchier: of shipping by
Wilhelm Cuno, general manager of
the neutrality-suspicious. steamship
line: OF individual debts. by Emil Won
Strauss. director Of the Deutsche
Bank, and OF commercial treaty by
Herr Lasuire. Each of these experts
showed how the treaty provisions on
these points hindered restoration of
German trade.
The allied representatives now will
talk individually with the German ex-
perts. One of them, for instance, will
try to learn exactly what the Germans
think ought to be done with German
property valued at $4,000, 100000 gold
marks seQuestered In other countries,
5000, 100000 marks worth Of which is
in the United States. Another will
learn the minimum amount of ship
ping the Germans will ask the allies
to leave with them instead of COM
pe1ling delivery of it.
One point made by Won Strauss was
that the treaty compelled the Ger
mans to pay debit balances Of their
nationals abroad while the allies re-
tain the balances their nationals owe
to Germans.
Want "Itemized Account
BREMEN, Germany. December 49,
Herr Scholz. minister OF economies,
speaking today to the Bremen Cham
Der Of Commerce with regard to the
repa rationss conference at present in
session in Brussels, between allied and
German delegates. said Germany's
principal demand must be for revision
of the Versailles treaty to the end
that the Germans may know how
much they are indebted to the. allies
and how they are expected to pay
such indebtedness.
Minister Scholz declared 1t was not
possible that Germany's. economic sit
uation could brought to its former
level so long as the nation was
shackled by uncafculated obligations.