New-York tribune., 1920-05-09
Officials Differ in Views
ON Program To Be Fol-
lowed at Spa; Economic
State m ent Is Prepared
Fixing Amount Opposed
Ministers Contend No One
Knows Now What Ger
many Will Be Able to Pay
By William c. Dreher
Special Gable to The Tribune

BERLIN, May S.-Officials of the
government are reticent regarding
what the German representatives will
tell the Allied Premiers when they
meet at Spa. At this moment it is
not certain whether the Germans will
be prepared to name any specific sum
as the amount the nation can pay in
reparation for damages, despite the
fact that the Allies have insisted that
the meeting is being held largely to
learn what Germany can and will do.
Two views of what the future holds
prevail in government circles. Some
of the ministers favor the plan Of Of
fering to pay some definite sum, but
the amount Of it would be far below
insisting on. Others of the Cabinet
believe that instead of making some
definite offer, the German delegates
at Spa should point out to the Allies
the impossibility of determining under
mans will be able to pay.
The advocates of the latter course
say that the basis of gauging now Ger
many's ability to pay at some future
time is absolutely uncertain and that
binding the country to pay a sum be-
yond it's real ability would aggravate
rather than facilitate the economic re-
habilitatcn of the country. These ad
vocates suggest that the German rep
resentatives merely carry with them
to Spa a complete statement of the
present economic position of the coun-
try and let the facts spesk for them
selves. III
1t is known that e*overnment
prepared such q statement on eco
nomic conditions in Germany. This
statement examines the situation ex
haustively.
Allied Discussion Irritates
The discussion going on in France
and Great Britain, proposing that
Premiers Millerand and Lloyd George
agree before the Spa conference how
much they shall expect Germany to
pay and merely talk over with Chan
cellor Mueller a modus operandi, has
had an unpleasant reaction here, and
the advisability of Chancellor Mueller
going at all is discussed in authori
tative circles. The view is held widely
that if the Germa Chancellor is mere
ly to discuss the methods of carrying
out collection program already de-
termined upon by the Allied premiers
IL Is HdIQly "OIlu WIllc lOI uIIl W
attend the conference.
BERLIN, May 8 (By the Associated
Press).-An officially inspired statement
regarding contributions already made
by Germany to the Entente, published
in the "Tageblatt," apparently indi-
Gates the line the German representa-
tives will adopt at the Spa conference.
The Saar coal mines, says the state
l.
marks; state property in the ceded
terial for the work of restoration, ami
mails, dyes, coal, German cables, etc,
2,500,000,000; German merchant ship
ping, 8,25O,00O000.
The list mentions the amount de-
rived from the liquidation of German
concerns abroad. Austria -Hungary's,
Turkeys and Bulgaria's debts to Ger
many are nominally 7,000,ooo,000
marks. 1t is stated also that customs
tories are retained by the Entente.
Request for Postponement Denied
Beyond indicating in recent in
formal communication to the Entente
that the date set for the Spa confer
ence was likely to Inconvenience the
German delegates, owing to it's proxi-
ernment has made no OFFICIAL request
to have the pourparlers postponed
This announcement was made in
statement issued this morning in con-
nection with the Paris rumor that
Germany was seeking a later date.
Germany's delegates to the Spa con-
ference will refuse to attend If not as
sured they will be given hearing, said
DR.. Wirth, Minister of Finance, speak
ing at Dresden yesterday, according to
the "Norddeutsche Allgmeine Zeitung."
They will be prepared to lay the true
state of affairs before Allied repre-
sentatives, he declared, and will be able
to demonstrate that the economic posi-
ton of the continent depends upon that
of Germany
81 will show the door to any one
suggesting to me that Germany is bank
rupt," he asserted "The fate of the
German mark is also the fate OF the
French franc. We are going to Spa to