The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-04-29
Rv DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial Despatch to The Reformer.)
Copyright 1921.

Especial Despatch to The Reformef.)
Copyright 1921.
WASHINGTON. April 29-Germany
still has an opportunity to modify her
reparation proposals and make them sat
isfactory to the allies and thus prevent
occupation of the Ruhr. Although the
United States government is not taking
the initiative or adopting any course that
might be construed as an effort to per
suade Germany to change her proposals,
nevertheless, the cables and radio have
conveyed to Berlin within the last n
hours enough newspaper dispatches and
official utterances from Paris and London
especially to let the Germans know their
offer is unacceptable.
The difference between the allies and
| Germany does not center on tAc amount
| to be paid. bat upon the terms and method
! of collection. An error in the cabled text
| has been discovered which puts a different
| light on at least one important paragraph
| of the German proposal, that winch re
| lates to "unreprOduCtive OUTLAWS. The
/ first version made 1t appear that the Ger
man government wanted to be rid of these
OUTLAWS which are interpreted to mean
| the funds spent in sustaining the allied
| armies of occupation, but the German gov
| Crnmcnt's official statement now says the
note should have read that German bust
| ness must DC FIJI OF uNfcDIbuuEIANt ouA
lays and that the phrase refers to dlSad-
vantageous trade arrangements.
Will Not Remove Penalties.
In any event. the most Objectionable
| clause i'm the German proposal Is that
| which declares a. Il condition OF payment
| that all penalties or sanctions must be
| removed. The Germans declare officially
/ i'm Il supplcmeutary statement made after
! the German proposal was made to Wash
| ington that this means only the penalties
! imposed by the recent London conference
and does not involve in any way the sane
| tons provided by the Versailles treaty.
| Should these two Important points be
lmade in an official communication to the
| United States il may be that when the
allies examine the entire proposition 1t
may fall into the category of a suitable
basis" for discussion later ON. For the
moment the French are determined to
occupy the Ruhr and talk about modifica-
tions in the German proposal afterwards
| The French believe they viii be better
able to force German acceptance when the
| French troops are in possession Of the val
| liable resources of the Ruhr valley than
now when French public opinion would be
| indignant over anything that resCmbled
IdiIlydalying on the part of the BRAND
ministry.
All Depends on Details.
The Germans have appr0ximatcd the
sums asked by the allies but, as indicated
by the British counter-questons, every
thing depends upon the details of the pro
poSal and not the general principles OF
vague promises of the German note
| MEANWHILE the United States government
is pursuing wary course, fascinating in
deed i'm its diSingeniouSuesS. The Ameri
can government does not want to close the
door to q settlement Of the PREPARATION
problem which it realizes means 80 much
to the economic condition of the Who'll,
world And the Washington government
on the other hand. doesn't want to adopt
any course that would encourage Ger
many to believe America has deserted her
associates i'm the war. The league of vic
tors in the war is still intact. although
Germany sees here and there a wavcrinG
upon which She bases n lingering hope OF
division in the allied ranks.
Hughes Understands.
Secretary Hughes has the whole situa-
ton well in hand. President Harding has
so much confidence in him that he went
! off to Hampton Roads to review the At
lantic feet and gave the secretary of state
complete authority to go ahead without
further reference to him. This is some
what of n change over the Wilson method.
The custom in the preceding admiuiStra-