New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-07-17
Conference Ends With
Good Feeling Apparent
on Both Sides Despite
Pleas for Moderation
Indemnity Shares
Are Also Allotted
So Per Cent of Repara-
tons for France; Britain
p, Italy 10, Belgium 8
By Ralph Courtney
Nncni<,1 rnhI. L. III


Special Gable to The Tribune
Copyright, 1920. New York Tribune Inc>
SPA, Belgium, July 16. - The Spa
conference ended to-day. The Ger
mans signed the much disputed coal
agreement, and it was arranged that
two delegates from each of the Allied
countries and two Germans should
meet at Geneva in two months to con-
slider the reparations question.
The Germans submitted their plan
for reparations, of which Premier
Delacroix, of Belgium, tonight said:
"The Allies consider these documents
alone INSUFFICIENT to permit the CON,
ference to reach conclusions thereon"
The conference ended with entire
good feeling on both sides. Mutual
compliments were exchanged and the
delegates shook hands all around.
Special trains have been ordered for
the departure of both groups TO-
morrow.
Pleaded for Modification
Up to the last the Germans asked
moderation of the Allies demands.
but without their former buster, Hugo
SHINES, the coal king, being absent.
The Allies refused to consider all the
German suggestions with regard to
coal, except the one which had to do
with the threatened invasion of the
Rnhr Valley. To this the Germans
insisted positively that they could not
agree, and the Allies consented merely
to put the threat on record. LLOYD
George and Millerand pointed out to
them that this clause did not concern
the Germans action, but was the same
as the one included in the disarma-
! ment agreement.
Lloyd George is Hopeful
The outstanding feature of the con-
ference on the one hand was the large
concessions made to the Germans, and
on the other hand the definite penal
ties outlined in case of Germany's
failure to live up to the agreements.
| Lloyd George said tonight he did
| not believe that the Germans, recognize
ing the fact that the Allies had en-
deavored to meet them frankly on all
disputed points, would be false to the
coal agreement unless influences within
Germany, which wished the occupation
of the Ruhr district, should get in
their work. He gave it as his opinion
that the Germans could and would
carry out the coal agreement. If they
| failed it would be because of these
inner forces.
SPA, Belgium, July 16 (By The AS
ISOLATED Press).-The German repre-
sentatives signed the coal protocol
drawn up by the Allied representatives
at S;45 o'clock tonight, thereby set
ting one of the most difficult questions
which have come up in the present dis
cussion. Signatures were affixed on the
document after a four-hour session at
the Villa Fraineuse, one hour of which
was spent by the Germans in Cabi-
net consultation in an adjoining room.
There was a conflict over introduce
ton in the protocol of the menace of
occupation of additional German terri
tory after October Is if German coal
deliveries were not up to the stipulated
quantity-6,000,0 900 tons-by that date.
The Allies decided to drop this clause
of the protocol below the signature
line.
DR.. Simons told his colleagues that
this subject had not been mentioned
during his conversation with Lloyd
George and Millerand yesterday, when a
verbal agreement virtually was reached.
The Germans, it appears, were greatly
annoyed to find it in the text of the
terms handing them.
Germans Object to Preamble
Then the Germans objected to the
preamble, which declared that the de-
cisions set forth in the document had
been taken i'll common accord by the
Allied and German delegations. The
Germans contended it was not bv COM
mon accord, but by sole will of the Al
lies, that any further occupation would
occur. At this juncture DR.. Fehren-
bach, German Chancellor, sent for three
Of his Cabinet colleagues, who were at
the German headquarters, and called a
! Cabinet meeting. An hour elapsed be-
fore the Chancellor and Foreign Min
lister appeared at the conference room.
After an explanatory speech by DR..
Continued on ncxt pase)