Evening star., 1921-02-18
FRANCE NOW READY
| TO EXACT PAYMENT
BYFORCE Of ARMS
Secret Plans Completed for
Invasion of Germany on
Short Notice.
BRITISH PREMIER STANDS
BEHIND PARIS DEMANDS
Reiterates Determination of Taking
Reparations to Limits of Ber-
Inns Capacity.
BY the Associated Press.


PARIS. February 1S.-Measures TO
be taken in the event that it is neces
sary to coerce Germany to fulfill al
lied reparation and disarna men mt
terms were discussed at yesterdays
conference between Premier BRAND
War Minister Barthou, Marshals Foch
and Petain, Gen. Weigand and others,
says the Echo de Paris.
The military experts of France al
ready have planned down to the small
est detail the advance of French
troops toward a secret destination in
case of such eventuality. it is de-
clared. The class of 1919 will be kept
with the cOlorS. and the class of 1918
will be called up. and arrangements
have also been made to extend the
French occupation area into the Co
blenZ district. should the Washington
administration decide to recall Amer
lean forces from Germany
The Franco Polish military and eco
nomic convention was also under dis
cussion. and 1t is expected the pact
will be signed before the end of the
week, the newspaper asserts
Question of Ability.
BY the Associated Press
George. the prime minister. declared
in the house of commons today that
he stood by his pledge that Germany
must pay to the limit of her capacity.
The prime minister was discussing
the German reparations question in
answering Horatio Bottomleys ar
raignment of the government policy
of alleged iraptitude with regard to
forcing Germany to comply with the
demands. the provision for
= bn inI e ri iyt,i1 ia - n Hpr
portions of the peace treaty.
There was great difference. con-
tinued the premier, between Germany
paying for the whole cost Of the war
+: nd paying to the limit of her ca
pacity.
The whole point is as to the limits
of Germany's capacity to pay" he
said.
Value of Bonds Undetermined.
The allies continued the premier.
had taken the best advice available
and had summoned the ablest men to
be found. upon whose advice the
present demands had been made, and
the allies were carrying out the peace
terms to the utmost of their power.
Germany. he pointed out, had de-
livered bonds to the allies, but the value
of these bonds depended upon the value
of the German security at the present
Raw materials, ships. prop
erty of other sorts. asd coal. also had
been delivered. added the premier, and
the question was what WAS their value.
The Germans argued. continued Mr..
Lloyd George, that if the allies took the
value of the raw material at the time
it was delivered the sum amounted to
more than the 10000, 100000 marks
named in the peace treaty. The allies
contended that the sum was less than
this, and the matter was one that the
commission was examining.
Even, according to the allied account
ing. he said, il was a matter Of hum
dreds of millions of pounds sterling
which had been delivered. and the ques-
ton was purely one of the time at
which one was to assess the value of
the raw material that had been handed
over.
Where Difficulty Arises.
Mr.. Lloyd George laid stress upon
the difficulty of exacting an indemni-
ty in another country and securing
it's payment here.
"You can easily collect in Ger
many any indemnity you impose,
within reasonable limits" added the
premier. but how are you going to
transfer it here? There Is much
loose thinking on this subject.
Il take the view that we have got
to do the best Tor the country out OF
what is essentially bad job. as
every war issue. The war cost some 1
thing beyond what any country can
pay. and does any one imagine that /
any country in the world can pay
the whole cost?
or service. and that is why we in
troduced an export tax on Germanys !
goods. That means that /!
everything she sends out in goods /.
is gold. for she gets something for !
which there is a gold equivalent"