New-York tribune., 1921-04-05

OF the devastated regions, certain facts
are at once apparent. For four years,
ten of the eighty-six departments of
France served as the theater of the
war and sustained the severest blows
of the conflict. In these ten depart
ments number of cities, towns and
villages were either partly or entirely
destroyed and wide stretches of fertile
farming lands were laid waste. Only
little has been accomplished toward
the rebuilding of homes, the reoccupa-
tlon and the recultivation of the land
in the two years that have elapsed
since the ending of the war For the
immediate rehabilitation of these dew
astated regions Germany has repeatedly
protfered labor, technical advice and
material assistance. These offers have
not been accepted, nor have they even
reached the point of diplomatic ex-
change. The reason is not far to seek.
Peculiar though it may SEEM there
exists in France only limited degree
of concern for the rehabilitation of the
devastated regions. Advanced ndemni-
ties have been given to the former oc-
cupants of the soil, and these occu-
pants have removed to other parts of
the country and taken up their abode
there. The salvaging of the abandoned
war materials and the cleaning up of
the war areas have been undertaken by
influential groups of promoters who are
making no effort to expedite the per-
formance of their contracts. The fact
that influential opinion in France sees
in the devastated region remarkable
opportunity for a political agitation
which will always make deep i'm
preston in the minds of the people Of
France and on foreigners has an i'm
portant bearing on the issue.
Would End War Hate
"The German government does not
desire to see hate perpetuated between
nations. In accordance with this pur-
pose, it intends to submit fresh pro-
posals on this subject TO the govern
ment of France, the details of which
are now under consideration and the
subject of discussion with the laborers
of Germany. Should the government
of France entertain objections to the
employment of numbers of German
laborers in the areas undergoing re-
construction, the government Of Ger
many stands ready to offer to France
good Offices and resources in whatever
form is acceptable.
"In respect of the second considera-
tion-namely. the immediate estab-
lishment by Germany Of an actual sum
of cash money, in foreign exchange, Of
important proportions, it is obvious
only through large increases in the
volume of her exports. The memo
randum prepared by the economic ex-
perts of Germany for use at the con-
ference at London demonstrated how
huge this increase in Germany's ex-
ports necessarily would be if great
sums of Money were thereby to be OBJ
taned and the menace this great in
crease would imply to the economic
life Of their countries. Conceding
even this, it further remains that the
sums in cash required could not be i'm
med lately realized
"Other considerations have been ad-
vanced at various times, among them
the proposal that our former oppo-
nents in yhe great war should partici-
pate in the returns from German in
dustry, either through taking shares
of the capital stock of German COM
panies or by other forms of the shar-
| ing of profits. Such proposal would
produce only proceeds in paper marks
valueless to foreign creditors. Indeed
the Allied and associated governments
themselves negatired these proposals
in the Treaty of Versailles by taking
for themselves first mortgage on the
total wealth and all sources Of income
of the German commonwealth and
states. In addition to this, the Allied
and associated governments, in their
deliberations at Paris, reserved for
themselves the decision as to what OPP
portunity, if any, Germany may in any
instance be given to obtain credit
abroad, because England and France
arc themselves in debt beyond their
limit, and the granting of a credit to
Germany by a neutral power is blocke d
by the general mortgage.
"An international loan, in favor OF
which the Allied and associated govern
gage, constitutes the only solution OF
the problem. The government of Ger.
many is prepared to offer the neces-
sary securities for the safety of such
d loan. 1t is the opinion of the Ger
man government that if the loan were
properly organized and offered, and ii
those who have evaded taxation be
granted a general amnesty, the largo
sums of German capital which have
secretly been withdrawn from Germany
could again be drawn in for the loan
and thereby become available for the
reparations.
at hos been reiterated by the Allied
and associated governments that th
situation Of Germany is better thar
IL Al