The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-02-20
U. s. WITHDRAWAL
 CAUSES REGRET IN
 PREPARATIONS BODY
Leaves Void In Hearts and Work, President of the Commission Declares to
 Boyden
By Associated Press

By Associated Press
 Paris, FebFuary 19.-Roiand ". Boy den, whose withdrawal as unofficial rep resentatives of the United States from the allied rerarations commission was am nounced yesterday when the text of his statement of withdrawal also was made public. delivered his farewell statement Ito ,the reparations commission at its ses- sion here today. He was the recipient of formal expressions of regret from all the delegates.
 Your withdrawal,' said Louis Dubois, the president of the commission, leaves not only a. void in our hearts but in our work. Let us believe, however, that lthe withdrawal is only temporary--that lit is not goodbye, but simply au revoir. America, continued M Dubois. fought not to aud cannot forget that at the call of the spirit of honor and jus itice her best sons crossed the sea; that lshe took part in the war and collab- ,orated in the making of the treaty of peace, so that justice might be done She cannot forget her sons sleeping in the soil of France. She cannot forget the sacrifices she made or the solidarity that binds an the allies who fought for the right. If she would, she could not.
 HOPE FOR RETURN
 we shall not mourn your going he adtied. flor you will come back to finish tne work
 , Sir John Bradbury, the only one of the delegates who has been with the com mission since it's creation, and other members of the commission joined m comphmenting MT. Boyden's work ana hoping for the return of the uniteo States to representation on the com mission.
 The newspapers this evening comment regretfully upon MT. Boyden's leaving. The Paris Midi says
 MT. Boyden was ostensibly an ob- server but in reality he was a wise ana discreet counselor in the commission
 At the Polish legation today the Aneri- can withdrawal was characterized as a deplorable happening for the small, weak nations, who felt that the United States was sort of protector for them ana the presence of it's representatives pene- ficial to their interests.
 REDUCES ACTIVITIES
 Paris. February 19.-The withdrawal of Roland w. Boyden and his Associates iron, the reparations commission of the allies reduces American activities in Flu rope in connection with the settlement of war problems to relief work and the exercise of special functions, such as those of Walker D. Hines, who was spe- cially appointed arbitrator in the ols.ri. . button of river shipping and the worK ol the shipping board and army servlces.
 MT. Hines will continue the work or srbitrating and distributing former ;, enemy river Homage. The shipping boards office in Paris also will be continued indefinitely and the graves registration service expects to com plete it's work by the end of the year. In addition, the army still has an or. flee in Paris for the daOustment oA American expeditionary force claims.
 American welfare organizations are still doing limited amount of welfare wolk in Europe, which is directed from Paris by the Red Cross. the. Young Mems Christian association. the Knights of Columbus, the Salvation Army, the American committee for devastated France and several other organizations.
 RELIEF WORK CONTINUES
 The Hoover relief administration is still very active in the central Eu- ropean countries, and the near eas' relief, through the American commis- sion for relief in the near east The withdrawal of the American represent atives from the reparations commits sion places two important American 'reparations questions directly in the hands of the Washington government. one Is that of the upkeep of the Amer ican forces on the Rhine. The latest figures compiled by the separations commission show the United States has spent to date for the maintenance of it's army in Germany 1S0.000,0oo gold marks, none of which has yet been reimbursed by Germany.
 Under the peace treaty. payment by Gernlany for the cost Of the armies of occupation has priority over all otier reparations and the question now must be handled separately by the Amer ican government SSle cost of keep ing the French forces on the Rhine has been 1,250. 100000 gold marks; the British forces. 1000, 100000 gold marks, and the Belgian forces, 2e0,0o0,o0e gold marks.
 Through special arrangements made by the American reparations repre- sentatives American textile industries have been able to obtain most of their highest grade German dyes through the commission MT. Boyden and Col. James \. Logan, IT, have been getting for American textile companies 25 per cent of all the dyes delivered by Ger many as part of the Preparations. These have been paid for by the American companies, their purchase0 totaling | an Al nA