The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-04-28
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Special Despatch to The Reformer.)
Copyright 1921.


Especial Despatch to The Reformer.) |
Copyright 1921.
WASHINGTON. Aprfl 2S-America |
will not forward the German proposal
on reparations to the allies. Great Brit
ain and France have already advised the
United States government informally
that the German note is unacceptable. |
Whatever chance there was for the
United States to act as mediator and
bring the Germans and allies into ac-
cord has been destroyed by the action of
the Germans in publishing the full text
of the note.
President Harding and his cabinet are
not inclined to regard seriously the Ger
man effort to secure Americas services |
a. d mediator for the reason that fuIf1
publicity was given the note practically |
the same time a. it was sent TO the |
United States. No time was given for |
negotiation and Is a consequence the |
German move is looked upon as simply a |
plan to draw the United States into the
discussion.
Note VIII Stay on Desk.
Secretary of State Hughes has called |
in the ambassadors of the allied powers |
and asked their views without. of course, |
officially transmitting the German note. |
The allies have in effect declined to ac- |
| cept the note and Mr.. Hughes in turn
has not been in the position of offering /
| it to them. The German communication |
| lies on the desk of the secretary of state |
where il probably will remain indehn- |
itely-nObody being willing To receive ii. |
| This means that the American govern |
ment either will be obliged to notify |
! Germany that the allies deem the COM |
munication unacceptable or America
Twill simply allow developments abroad |
| to give the Germans their answer. Pre- |
mcr BRAND already has spoken. Prime
| Minister Lloyd George will have eN-
pressed the British viewpoint before an
other - hours. The upShOt of the sit
Iuation will be new proposal from Ger
many or the occupation of the Ruhr
| valley by French troops and further pres
sure upon Germans for an acceptance of
the allied demands
May Deal Directly.
-Four or five days still remain within
which time Germany can make another
offer but the probabilities are that IL
She decides To accept the allied demands
the negotiation will be direct and with
tout an intermediary. The feeling in the
Washington government. indeed the hope
is that the matter will be- taken out of
America'S hands by direct negotiation
and that the United States will not be
further embarrassed There il no tell
ing. however. what the Germans are
likely to do and the desire to invcigle
America into the negotiation Is so
strong that RerIin NAV Vet yield to the
allied demands by indirect communica-
ton through America.
| The school of thought here which
frowne upon meddling in European af-
fairs is of course diSpeased with the
German manoeuvre and is hoping that
the allies will take matters in their own
hands and ignore the German communi-
cation to the United States. On the
other hand those who have from the start
believed Americas moral influence was
sufficient to settle the PREPARATION contro-
versy and thus improve the world eco
uomic situation look upon the German
note a. Offering splendid opportunity
for leadership of which they are still
hoping President Harding will avail HIM
self.
Cabinet Unanimous.
Cabinet discussion Tuesday developed
unanimity of feeling 10 Americas duty
in the circumstances. 1t was agreed
that the United States could not put her
stamp of approval on the document even
vaguely and that the action taken must
be of such a character as not to eucouT-
age the Germans i'm believing the United
States has separated from her associates
in the war Some cabinet members be-
lieve that except for political situations
i'm each of the European countries the
German proposal might have been used
as basis for compromise. But the
I theory here is that Premier BRAND Is
in n pcrilouS position and that IT his
ministry is overthrown, France will come
III
4 which will GO to the extreme in handling
I Germany and possibly drive the Germans
I | into chaos Prime Minister Lloyd
l | George, who has always shown n dispo
4 sition 10 he more reasonable with the
| Germans than the extremists in France,
| is believed to be lending his moral sup
4 rort at this moment to Premier BRAND
| largely out of a fear of a political col
: lapse i'm France of the BRAND cabinet
the single buIwark against unthinlling
q miitarism.
II Broadly speaking. the separations con
u troverSy is not as hopeless as it seems
M The Germans have come nearer the al
IN lied demands in the latest proposal thar
III ever before even though they attach mis-
n chevous and multiplying conditions. Fail
IL nre of the attempt TO draw America Il
III Germany's side is expected to drive thu
Ill Germans still closer to the allies with ;
II new proposal even though the Ruhr may
m vet have to be occupied as a means O
MI coercion. The more the Germans realiZt
III that the allies are in earnest and nre no
R to be trifled with the earlier will al
III agreement be secured. That atti
& tude of the allies rs expressed this weel
n probably viii have an important psyche
III logical effect on tho German tendency t.
H prurra innate