The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-12-22
EXPERTS OF
!, ALLIES GET
ESTIMATE
Germany Is Being Consid-
cred AS Virtually An
Insolvent Creditor Which
Must Be Maintained AS
a Going Concern If Al
lies Expect to Get Their
Pay.

Brussels, Dec. % tBy the Associated
Press ss).--Payment by Germany OF l0t
billion marks in gold remSins the basis
upon which experts and delegates te
the second financial conference in ses
sion here are working. This amount
although far below what was author
lied by the treaty of Versailles, is
considered by them collectable only or
condition that Germany is helped along
the lines suggested by the German
delegates.
Allied experts in secret individual re-
ports recognize Germany's real neces
sities, and delegates generally are i'm
pressed by arguments that Germany
is an insolyent creditor who must be
maintained as going concern. The
extent to which strict fulfillment OF
the Versailles treaty may be waived
however, depends upon the allied gov
ernments.
Virtually none of the delegates IS
still of the opinion that the treaty
/ can be executed literally, and allied
experts agree with the Germans that
PREPARATIONS must be paid chiefly in
kind Some cash, however, will be de-
imanded after year or two, if not
Immediately.
To-day's meeting was really in prep
,sration for the recess which will be
taken until Jan. 10. Allied delegates
planned to meet apart this afternoon
for the purpose of exchanging views
and reaching common accord which
will be reflected in reports to their
governments.
German delegates are still working
on the list of questions submitted by
the allies, which cover a wide range,
II is inferred from some of them that
the allied experts believe that indirect
taxation in Germany is not high
enough. Other questions concern the
German financial policy relative to
taxation of wealthy citizens and pos
sible tax increases within year or
two
The German representatives have
been asked to estimate the amount of
German wealth at present in neutral
countries and how Germany plans to
compensate her citizens for property
sequestered and liquidated abroad.
Delegates have been pledged to Sc
crecy, but there is general impress
sion they will recommend that their
governments permit Germany TO keep
some of the $4,000 tons of shipping
she was ordered to surrender under the
Versailles treaty. The United States
is still regarded as the only banker
who can furnish Germany with the
necessary credit.
The American dollar is mentioned
frequently as a desirable standard in
expressing reparation figures. It Is
impossible, for Germany 10 export gold
marks. and the dollar is considered the
most stable unit at present.
Belief was expressed here to-day
that when the conference assemblies
next month il will be well on the way
toward a settlement of the reparations
question.
The conference adjourned az noon to-
day until Jan. 10. Before the meeting
closed the allied experts told the Ger
man delegates there was a good pros
pect Of reaching an agreement on the
concessions asked by Germany and in
dicated that with continued good will
on both sides during the January ses-
sions the solution Of the reparations
problem would be in sight.
The adjournment was taken TO en-
able the Germans to get further infor-
nation on the questions submitted BY
the allies and 20 facilitate an invesii-
cation Of payment of the German debt
abroad and other matters.