Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-04-21
]. s. To STAND FIRM
BY SIDE OF ALLIES
Reported German Reparations
Proposal Viewed as Effort
to Cause Split
HARDING NOT MEDIATOR
BY CLINTON w. GILBERT
stan Correspondent Evening Public Ledger

Copyright, 1871. bp Public Ledger Co.
Washington, April 21.-Secretary
Hughes declined today to discuss Ger
man reparations or TO say whether any
proposal has been received from the
German Government. The indications
are that some proposal either has been
received or is on the way from Com
missioner Dresel at Berlin. 1t Is de-
MED at the White House that President
Harding has been asked to act as me-
diator between Germany and the Al
lies upon reparations.
European dispatches indicate def
ntely that the German proposal Is
First, to pay certain definite sum
total of reparations to the Allies Sec
ond, to take over the allied war debt to
this country; third, TO leave to inter &.
national arbitration the question OF
the value Of payments already made to
Offset against the lump sum due May l.
One thing Is clear about our policy
toward any German proposal, and that
is that we will not take q position upon
it out of harmony with that Of the AL
lies. That Is the one outstanding fact
here in Washington.
Germany Tries to Drive Wedge
The purpose of Germany is to sep
arate us from the Allies. It is this
which Germany has in mind in laying
proposal before this country. II
this country expresses an opinion upon
the justice of the German offer Of q
lump sum TO the Allies otherwise than
to say that the amount is inadequate
it at once runs the risk of breaking
with the Allies, with whom 1t IL tn,
purpose of the administration to re.
write the peace of the world
The object of the German offer Il
take over the allied war debt to thi,
country is plain. Germany wanti
America to be her creditor directly ant
thus to have her directly interested II
maintaining her financial strength. /
| Germany owed this country $4,000,
600. 900. this country would look will
n jealous eye upon French and Polisl
efforts to appropriate German coal
| With Germany our debtor. instantly W,
should become involved in the Who'll,
| European tangle on the side of Ger
! many.
With Germany as our debtor thi
country would be definitely separated
from the Allies by its interest IL
strengthening Germany. 1t is safe t
say that this proposal at least will b,
rejected. In Secretary Hughes not,
| W NtIInHH! Ol tpTIl tnP SuBEcStlOi
was made that Germany reopen ncgo
tiations with the Allies.
Attitude OF L. s. Unchanged
That is likely to remain this gov
ernment's position TO any such pro
posal as Germany is reported to hav,
made. Mr.. Hughes is likely to say tha
the proper place to take up the ques
tions raised is with the Allies in thci
conference. 1t seems unlikely that h
will embarrass the Allies by askin
them whether or not the German pro
rosals are acceptable.
| Moreover the Hythc conference OF
| Sunday is drawing so near that thi
government will hardly commit itsel
on any German proposal that might an,
probably would prove out of harmon
with the determinations of that con
ference. I,
All that is known Of the Hughes atti
tudC toward rcparations is that thi
country must not be in Europe as
second mortgage. 1t is not at all GER
tain that he will object to any Frcnc
plan Of strengthening themselves at tn
expense of Germany by seizing an,
permanently holding the territory up +
the left bank of the Rhine and b.
operating for their own benefit the Ruh
Valley coal fields.
Owing to Germany's failure to pa
rcparation Mr.. Hughes may hold thi
program of France TO be justified. i
general, he is reversing Mr.. Wilson
policies in Europe. France is Ou
debtor. We are interested economical
in the restoration of France rather tha
in that Of Germany.