Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-04-29

french PREMIER says
No Chance.Accepting
Latest German Offer
Paris, April 2S.-tBy the Associated
Press) 1.-The German propositions are
absolutely unacceptable and made ur,-
der such conditions as to Justify us in
doubling Germany's good faith" Pre-
riier BRAND declared to newspaper
men here this evening. He ADDED:
THE presence of Americans in our
councils would help immensely in the
settlement of many questions. The
German government is unable to rid
itself of the. reactionary element that
dominates its policy. Well. we are go
ing to help them to get rid of that ele-
ment and we are going to do it in the
right manner
NJ. BRAND spoke of the prospective
occupation of the industrial region of
Germany as d foregone conclusion and
declared that the operation would have
not only a great morol effect upon Ger
many, but would give material re-
suits. Referring to the proposals ad-
dressed to Washington, he said:
If Germany wanted to show good
faith in executing the treaty of YER
sailles she had only to address her
proposals to the PREPARATIONS commits
sion, as has been done in other cases.
The fact that she applied to an inter-
mediary is suspicious in itself, all
the more so on account of the fact
that she waited until the eve of the
day of reckoning to apply to the Unit
ed States, in the hope that the Amer
lean government would intervene and
that an interminable discussion would
follow during which French public
opinion would be unnerved and Ger
man propaganda would work on forei gn
opinion with a view to dividing the
Allies and estranging sympathies.
Well" declared the premier with
great emphasis, I'VE will not fail into
that trap.
One Is struck he went on, by the
fact that the Germans stuiiously avoid
references to some questions that are
essential t. France. We want our
! friends abroad to know that there are
two problems NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
in which all the Allies are interested
and security, which concerns Franco
particularly.
We accepted frontiers with Germa-
ny that were generously drawn, from
tiers that are fragile and leave us
in the face of Germany. The only way
we can gain security is by disarm-
ament to which Germany agreed over
her signature. 1t would have sufficed
Tor Germany to show her good will
ty simply fulfilling these obligat lions
| to which she subscribed.
Germany tried to- dodge them and
asked for delay, which was accorded
and which expired without her having
carried out her obligations. That alone
sufflces to Justify the measures we are
going to take. <T1s
rWhen we hold the region IN
question we shall have in hand
an important productive pledge. a.
center of German imperalistic reac-
tlonary industry, center of German
war materials production.
Il am sure that this procedure
Will facilitate efficacious CONVERSE
tons afterwards"
The premier expressed the opin-
ion that the allies will draw a good
financial yield from the occupation
and remarked:
we do not want, and we do not
intend, to kill the goose that laws the
golden eggs; we intend to put her in
the way of laying some for us.
we Will derive resources from the
districts without harming German
industry. The conditions resulting
from her defeat and the low rate Of
exchange. and the conditions under
which the mines are worked enable
the Germans to derive a great adj
vantage. They put a tax of 20 Der
cent on the coal of the Ruhr: We are
simply going to collect that tax of
~ per cent. ourselves Our forces
OF occupation will be there as no.
lice. rather than as soldiers. It is
not a question of making war on
Germany"
NJ. BRAND referred to what he
termed the reactionary demonstra-
ton at the funeral of the former
German empress and said: 1T is
time for Germany to act, if she
wants to rid the country of reaction,
| time to act against those who mani
tested at the funeral of the ex-em-
press.
I'VE French" he said in concf,,-
sion, have seen with great regret
our American friends leave the
places which they held in our; coun-
ellis, and in which they had so much
right to be. That the French de-
sire to see them return, I wish to
express in the strongest possible
terms