Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-01-31
Conference Agreement Will
Meet Criticism, But Appro-
val Declared Likely.
COMES BEFORE FRENCH
| DEPUTIES TOMORROW
German Hopes Based on Possible
Future Economic and Politi-
cal Changes.
by PAUL SCOTT MOWRER.

T, By Cable to The Star and Chicago Daily News
! Copyright, 1921.
! PARIS, January 31.-The Paris con-
| ference agreement on reparations and
German disarmament doubtless will
be laid before the chamber of deputies
tomorrow The French Legislative
body, which heretofore has been a
i citadel of uncompromising tirinness
probably will accept the agreement
| though not without bitter criticism
The agreement indeed, though it is
| too soon to judge as to what it VIII
be in practice, is in the abstract ex-
ceedingly ingenious.
| Reduction in Fixed Indemnities.
In the first place it reduces the total
of the fixed indemnities figure to 226
000). which represents at present a
capital of less than 100000 ,000 gold
marks $4,000. .000,000), and is by far
the lowest figure ever contemplated
The Germans themselves proposed
100. 100000 900 gold marks at the peace
conference.
This will doubtless be a source of
satisfaction to every one concerned cX-
cept France and Belgium. The an
be paid partly in cash, but largely in
German merchandise. which other
things being equal. would tend to
compete dangerously with French in
dustries. This. indeed, has always
been Britain's principal objection to
exacting large indemnities from Ger
many.
1t is just here where that 1917 per
cent export tax enters in so nicely,
on the one hand insuring French and
British manufacturers against dan
gerous rivalry, and on the other ops n
ing to France the possibility of profit
ing if Germany's economic recovery
is more rapid than is expected
Beginning of New Entente.
AS regards France and Britain, the
present agreement should perhaps be
considered less as a prolongation Of
their wartime alliance than as the
beginning of a new entente built on
the debris of the old. Both countries,
as the writer pointed out on the first
day of the conference. were PRACTICAL
ly forced by their interna! situ3tions
to reach an agreement. The docu-
ments exchanged two days ago be-
tween France and Britain are prob
ably greater menace to the German
Docketbook than anything else which
has happened since the arm istice
Germany's Reasons.
Copyright. 1921.
BERLIN, January 31-Germany will
accept the Paris indemnity demands
for two reasons: First, because she
hopes that the treaty of Versailles
and all the subsequent agreements
will be revised, and, second because
she expects that the political and eco
nomic conditions Of Europe and of
the whole world will be so thorough
ly changed long before the forty-two
years of her indemnity payments are
up that she will not have to carry out
the treaty. This is gathered from
several persons of high position in
German diplomatic and financial cir
cles.
In order to appease. the public, and
particularly the right wing political
parties. Germany will make some pre-
tense of insisting on certain modifca-
tions of the demands. But on the
whole the view in inner circles is
that there is no reason to fret over
al indemnity that must be paid a
whole generation hence, or, for that
matter, ten years hence.
Germany will be a healthy and pro-
ductive country again long before that
time" said one fnancier "Of course
our secret hope is that sooner or later
the entente will be broken up and
England VIII no longer side with her
present continental allies. We expect
also that the new President of th..
United States will come out in favor
OF modifying the treaty of Versailles
The reactionary newspapers have
again dropped INTO hymn Of hate
phraseology in their comment on the
Paris conference. Their united de-
mand is that they refuse even to dis
cuss the indemnity demands.