Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-03-08
GERMAN OFFER
M|SCONSTRUED
SAYS S|M0NS
Disadvantage Of Pro
visiional Settlement At
fects Both Nations.
No Second Proposition
Forthcoming; No Rea-
son to Fear Teutons.

London. March 7.-Dr. Simons, in
his reply to Mr.. Lloyd George. re-
gretted that the German proposals had
been misconstrued.
'For us, just as for yon," he said,
"the disadvantage of provisional settle
ment under the pressure Of your ultl-
matum which forced us to come for
ward with definite proposals: We
should have preferred to put before
YOU a plan Of total arrangement. plan
along that with which we originally
started
He explained he had no second rro~
posal in his pocket and had therefore
~ try to find new way both in the
delegation and in the Berlin cabinet:
He had been charged to ask for a brief
delay in order that he might get in
touch with the Berlin cabinet, but, he
added:
Refused Short Delay.
eve were refused even this short de-
"From this fact" he said, at already
appears that there is no foundation for
the fear that we should want to make
use of the provisional settlement to
reach a revision of the whole treaty
after the lapse Of these five years.
"On the contrary, the German nation
has undertaken it's obligation of making
reparation, and 1t is ready to. fulfill
the whole of this obligation to the lin
it's of possibility. We are ready to
enter into the suggestion of the pres
ident Of this conference to furnish the
allies with part of the means which
would be required for the purposes OF
reparation by laying aside part OF the
purchase prices of German goods de-
liyered into the allied countries for
reparation account.
Agrees With Allies.
II have submitted and recommended
this proposal to my government, and
can only say I regret that this proposal
should have been dscredited in public
opinion in Germany BY having been
placed by you among the sanctions to
be taken against Germany. We agree
with the president of the conference
also that It would be advisable as
quickly as possible to get the fixed
sums determined and have also deter
mined the factors of the varied pay
ments in case Of her economic recovery.
which Germany would have to make
toward repa-at;on.
I'VE further agree with your intention
to set up an examination system Of the
fixed and varied payments to the diff
ferent countries. These points IN our
opinion should be deliberated on by a
joint committee of experts as soon as
possible and / can only state it is
pity that when the experts meet the
atmosphere will be embittered by the
sanctions which are to be put into
force against lis.
Protests Procedure.
II feel obligated at this moment,
when the sanctions are definitely going
to be put into force against us to en-
ter once more with all due emphasis
a protest against your procedure
DIR. Simons contended that Germany
had done much toward reparation and
which was not appreciated
in the allied countries. If taxation
was based upon income per head, the
Germans were paying more than the
allies, he declared, but Notwithstanding
this the Gxrman financial administra-
ton was considering the increase OF
indirect taxation. i
Penalties Not Justified.
The menace Of penalties was Justi-
fled by the peace treaty, DR.: Simons
none Of the provisions OF
that treaty permitting the occupation
of German territory east Of the Rhine
with the exception Of the bridgeheads.
On the contrary, he declared. the only
provision made was that the evacuation
Of the occupied territory. BY the mill
tary could be deferred by the allies
in order to guarantee them against
German attacks and that. evacuated
territory could be reoccupied if Ger
many refused to meet her oonga'ions.
AZ for the economic penalties, they
could only be applied for non-execu-
ton of Germany's duties in making
Germany. the foreign min
ister insisted. had not defaulted in her
debt. The German pay
ments and deliveries had already
amounted to twenty billion marks.
He urged that the erection OF spe,
cial custom tariff in the Rhineland
could only be effected for the protrc-
ton Of the economic interests Of the
Rhineland population, and not for the
punishment OF the German people with
respect to untitled treaty Obligations.
High Court Upholds