New-York tribune., 1921-04-22
George
Reluctant to
Invade Ruhr
BRAND To Be Asked at
Coming Conference if
New German Proposals
Would Modify Plans
By Ralph Courtney
Special Cable to The Tribune

Copyright 1921. New York Tribune Inc
PARIS, April 21.-Telegrams that
have been exchanged between London
and Paris in the last two days show
that the British government is anx-
ious if possible to avoid the further
occupation Of German territory after
May 1 to compel submission to the AL
lied reparaton demands. Premier
Lloyd George has asked Premier BRAND
of France to come to Hythe alone this
week end, that is to say, accompanied
only by his political collaboration,
Philippe Berthelot. The British
Premier desires in this way to en-
phasize the fact that England is not
yet committed to further military op-
erations or even additional economic
penalties against Germany.
If military and economic experts &C
companied BRAND to Hythe this might
imply that Lloyd George was ready to
discuss methods of occupying the Ruhr
valley and the impo osition of new sane
ton
! Lloyd George is understood to have
addressed three questions to the French
government. BRAND will answer these
in the conversations they have at
Hythe. The questions are:
What proposals coming from the
Germans before May / would satisfy
the French government?
Would the French COVE eminent, on
receipt of satisfactory proposals, re-
nounce it's intention to occupy the
Ruhr valley?
In case the Rhur valley was not
to be occupied, what other gvaran
ties would the French government
demand?
Germany Already Convicted
IN answer 20 the first question, Pre-
mier Brand will argue that Germany
must be considered as under sentence
from the Reparations Commission This
body has ordered the Berlin govern-
ment to pay the Allies 100000, 900
many must do, as we'll as Indicate how
She intends to pay the otner 11,0OC,-
O0O,OOC marks she owes and which the
Reparatiors Commission requires of
! her. She must give the dates and meth
DDS of the payments she will make and
must hand over shares in German in
dustres and other guarantees. If Ger
many is not prepared to do this, then
all discussion with her is impossible.
AS for the second and third ques-
tions, it had been thought that France
might be content with some kind Of
supervision Of German customs. but it
now appears that this would not salts
fly her Raymond Poincare, former
President of the republic, backed by
an influential body of opinion in both
the Chamber of Deputies and the SEN
ate, is reported to have told BRAND to-
day that nothing short of the veritable
blockade Of all German ports and from
tiers and the establishment of effective
control by the Allies over everything
passing in and out of Germany would
be acceptable to France. This, there
fore, will be Premier Brands reply to
cooperation of the British navy
1t is learned definitely that if BRAND
encounters difficulties in his converse
tions with the British Premier France
will go into Germany alone. The oper-
ations which the French are planning
cannot be stopped, regardless of Lloyd
Georges hesitancy. The French gov
ernment is already too deeply COM
mitted before the world and in the eyes
of its own people to withdraw. The
French Parliament would tear BRAND
from the Premiership if he now hesi-
tates to carry out the threats he has
publicly made If he now refused to
lay heavy hand on Germany he would
be replaced with some leader who
would not hold back
Loucheur Going to Brussels
While BRAND is conferring with
Lloyd George at Hythe, Louis Loucheur,
French Minister of Devastated Regions,
will go to Brussels to explain certain
points about the French scheme re-
garding which Premier WARTS govern
mout needs assurance.
1.xly is understood to be ready to
rapport France and all is expected to
>, smooth sailing with Belgium, too.
(cnntlnued on next pepel