Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-12-22
TREATY EXACTIONS
TO BE SET ASIDE
Up 70 Creditor Nations to Maintain
Germany az Going Concern in Or
dor 10 Collect Even Reduced Rep
arations = Comparatively Small
Amount In Cash TO Be Exactsd--
May Retain Some Of Ships.
BY Associated Press.

Germany Of loo, 900 marks In gold re-
mains the basis upon which experts
and delegates to the second financial
congress. in session here. are work.
ing. This amount, altho far below
the sum authorized by the treaty Of
Versailles. Is considered by them col
lectible only on condition that Ger
many Is helped along the lines sug.
gested by the German delegates.
Allied experts In secret, individual
reports, the substance of which has
come to light, recognize Germany's
real necessities, and delegates gen.
orally are impressed by arguments
that Germany Is an insolvent cred
ftor who must be maintained as q
going concern. The extent to which
strict fulhllment Of the Versailles
treaty may be waived, however. de-
pends upon the allied governments
Some cash Demanded.
Virtually none Of the delegates be-
lieves the treaty can be executed
! literally. and allied experts agree
with Germans that reparations must
be paid chiefly In kind. Some cash,
however. will be demanded after a
year or two. Il not Immediately.
Today's meeting was really in
preparation for the recess which wifi
be taken until Jan. 10. Allied dele
gates planned to meet apart this
afternoon for the purpose OF ex-
changing views and reaching a come
mon accord which VIII be reflected
In reports to their governments.
German delegates are still working
on the list Of questions submitted by
E the allies. which covers wide range
It is inferred from some Of the uues-
tons that the allied experts believe
indirect taxation in Germany is not
high enough, the Gsrmons being
asked whether their taxes on alcohol,
peer, tobacco and sugar are as high
as those on the same products In
France and Great Britain. Other
questions concern the German f1nan-
Ecial policy relative to taxation of
wealthy citizens and possibly tax In
creases within year or two.
Seeking Wealth Facts.
Inc ierman delegates have been
asked to estimate the amount Of
German wealth at present in neutral
countries and to state how Germany
pians TO compensate her citizens for
property sequestered and uquidated
!: broad. It Is suggested that German
wealth In neutral countries has been
accumulated by the practice of the
German firms shipping goods at cost
OF at an actual loss to associates in
neutral countries. In considering de-
preciated exchange allied experts
have asked the Germans If they do
not profit from the low value Of the
mark to the extent that their labor is
not paid pruportionately to the COM
pensation CT labor In countries where
exchange values are higher.
Want v. s. 40 German Banker.
Delegates have been pledged to
secrecy, but there is a general inn
preston they will recommend that
their governments permit Germany
to keep scome of the $4,000 tons Of
shipping she was ordered to surren-
Ger under the Versailles treaty. The
United States is still regarded as the
only banker who can furnish Ger
many with the necessary credit.
Germans desire that property
owned by their nationals be returned
to Its owners. Some of the allies.
however. arc in favor of having 1t
used as basis of credit, altho the
amount OF German property in Am
erica probably would be insufficient
to meet the needs OF Germany at the
present time.
American Dollar az Basis.
The American dollar is mentioned
frequently as q desirable standard In
expressing reparation figures, 1t is
impossible for Germany to export
geld marks. and the dollar is constd-
cred the most stable unit at present.
British shipping and liquidation
experts arrived here last night for
final conferences with the Germans
before today's adjournment Belief
was expressed here today that when
the conference assemblies next month
it will be well on the way toward a
settlements OF the reparations ques-
tion.