Evening star., 1921-12-04
EUROPE NOW FACING
KNOTTIEST PROBLEM
Collection of Reparations Without Bank
rupting Germany Sure to Heighten
Anglo-French Tension.

! eHd S1eTH1dUy 10 pay tuS oAisSS'
| has been favorably received. ANY
such scheme which would tend to
, promote the paying power OF Ger.
many through Germanic efforts VIII
more than meet with British approval
! The British, in truth, are suspicious
| of French desires in regard to sep
aration Of the Rhineland from Ger
, many and have so far resisted at.
tenpts looking toward its eventual
severance on any pretext Whatever.
This move is declared nearest the
heart of the French. and in any de-
liberations that may come on the
| question of guarantees for repara-
tions payments the French are sure
to advance their desires in this direc-
tion. And this the other allies be-
lieve would be but laying the founda-
ton stones for further struggle which
may result in the same terrible re-
suits as the last war.
Notwithstanding the friction that
has arisen between the French and
British over the near east, the ques-
tion of land armament and subma-
rines and multitudinous other Ques-
tions, it may be expected that in the
conferences to come on the question
of reparations Premier Lloyd George
will approach them with the greatest
caution and attempt to make easier
the path of Premier BRAND. Every
effort undoubtedly will be made to
meet the French on some ground half
way between the British and French
extremist views of German repara-
ton, for unless BRAND, always amen
able to reason. is maintained in the
government of France there will be
less chance of perpetuating the policy
of Tive and let live" which Lloyd
George and Woodrow Wilson first
enunciated at Paris and which Lloyd
George since has striven to maintain
insofar as Germany is concerned.
There is little doubt but that
Premier BRAND faces a great test of
strength with his political adversaries.
Former President Poincare. he of the
push Germany to the limit Of ex-
tinction" school of thought. is girding
his loins for Remittance into active
political life as premier. and in recent
days his ambitions have received
increasing strength and support.
would not swerve whit or jot from
the exact wording of the treaty of
Versailles. no matter what the result,
so long as French policies are main
tafned. And one of the policies of the
militarist and so-called imperialistic
group is annexation in one guise or
another of the left bank of the Rhine
and what the British term the COM
plete enslavement of Germany through
financial and economic sanctions.
But even back of this there lies a
British understanding that Poincare
is committed to the policy of resist
ing the whole British idea of economic
and financial readjustment of Europe
Unquestionably the canny Welshman
who presides over England's destinies
has welded stronger voice in allied
deliberations than any other man in
Europe. France repeatedly has been
forced to bow to British dimplomatic
thought in readjustment problems.
PnInclra'G fnl1nwarS tn
in him man who will combat British
influence even to the point of isolating
France from her former allies If it
is necessary to advance, at least pro-
tect, strictly French interests. Lloyd |
George does not want this If it can |
be avoided. A great section of the |
French people do not want it. But il |
Poincare and his supporters can make |
it appear that BRAND is under the |
thumb of Lloyd George by his agree !
ment to any policy not strictly in con- |
formance to the popular French idea |
that Germany should be shown no I
lenlence whatever as to reparations, |
then the Poincare school of political |
thought in France undoubtedly will
have its inning and Frances course |
may be guided to the point of isola- |
ton in dealing with Germany.
No statesman of Europe wants to |
see this, for the perpetuation of the [
strictly French viewpoint means con- |
slant and continued friction. owing |
to the fact that economic and finan- |
cial affairs of other nations are more |
or less in contact with Germany, and |
are Influenced by it's recovery. The |
French policy, it is believed, would |
lead to bleak despair over the whole |
of central Europe and consequent |
enervation may hinder reconstruction |
endeavor.
British believe without aid to Ger |
many solving her difficulties. Ger |
many may fall financially. politically !
and socially. The French extreme
lists want that very thing. 1t would :
safeguard France physically and |
would place Germany's resources and |
industries under French control. |
Even though England did not wish |
to have Germany recover swiftly, |
there, nevertheless, would remain an
antipathy toward any step France
might take toward charging her do
main of influence on the continent. |
That is one cause of the friction that
today exists between the two coun-
tries.
But whatever the actual steps look
ing toward the settlement Of the Ger
man reparations question, there Is
one thing certain. and that Is that
every step will be marked by the
sharpest of clashes between the
no man capable Of telling just what
NAV or may not be done, or what /
channels the negotiations may take
before final settlement is reached.