The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-24
VITAL IMPORTANCE
 IS ATTACHED ID
 COUNCIL MEETING
French Believe Full Agreement Upon German Disarmament and Preparations Will
 Be Reached
By Associated Press

Paris, January 23.-The meeting of the supreme council, which will begin tomor- row morning at Il o'clock in the famous clock room of the foreign office, where the plenary sessions of the peace confer ence were held, is regarded in France as second in importance only to the delibera- tions from which came the treaty of Yer sailles The duration of the new ministry of Aristide Briand. 1t is generally under stood, will depend upon this meeting, and the results the premier will be able to bring from the council to the Chamber of Deputies. The general feeling over the situation is optimistic.
 The French people have been greatly re- assured During the past few days by the tone of the British press, and seem confl- dent that the allies will be able to agree fully, not only upon the measure to se- cure the disarmament Of Germany, put upon the general lines of reparation. n There was cordial conference of hair ali hour tonight in a private room at the North Station immediately upon the ar rival of the British delegation between David Lloyd George, the British prime minister, and Earl Curzon of Kedlestone, the British foreign secretary, and Briand, the new French premier
 The conference strengthened the iT1- pression that the work of Nthe council would begin under the most favorable of conditions.
 DISARMAMENT FIRST SUBJECT Disarmament will be the first subject to occupy the conferees. Then, it is ex- pected, reparations will follow, and that the Turkish, Creek Russian, Austrian and other questions will be discussed. The questions between the allies and the United States likewise will be gone over. IT iS exp that. the conference VIII last about week.
 Frances attitude concerning separations was the subject of a conference thls morning at the Elysee palace NJ. Briand went ~to the palace, accompanied py Philippe J. l.. Berthelot, general secretary of the foreign office; Louise Loucheur, minister for the liberated regions; Paul Doumer, minister of finance; Louis Du- bois, president of the reparatlon commls- sion; M. Seydoux and Pierre Cheysson' the French financial experts at the Brus- sells conference, and discussed the entire reparation question with President Mil lerand.
 The report of the financial reports on the situation was gone into and decision was reached on the form in which the French viewpoint would be placed before the council tomorrow
 REPRESENTATIVE or POWERS
 The representatives of the five powers will be: Great Britain, Premier Lloyd George, Earl Curzon of Kedlestone, fleld Marshal Sir Henry Hughes Dilson of the ,4 irlperias staff; baron Eesar sipesns N EDs Abernon, ambassador to Germany; General Bingham, president of the inter- allied subcommittee on armament; Ad- nliral Sinclair and Major Growers.
 France: Premier Briand, M Berthelot, M Loucheur, M. Doumer, M. Seydoux and Col. De St. Aulaire, ambassador 10 Great Britain.
 Italy: Count Sforza, foreign minister. and Marquis Della Porella.
 Belgium: Jasper Theunys, minister of finance, and M Van De Vyyere. former minister of finance.
 Japan Viscount lshll, ampassaoor to France.
 The meetings will be held in the strictest of secrecy. They will have the aspect of a small peace conference A number of advisors and experts will be on hand
 The disarmament discussion is expected to turn mostly upon the measures to be employed to bring Germany to comply with the peace treaty. As the allies are supposed to be agreed that Germany must finally disarm effectively. it IS un- derstood that France does not want to apply the penalty of occupation of fur ther German territory, provided the treaty of Spa is confirmed. Nevertheless, Pre- mier Briand is expected to take firm attitude, as was indicated in his minis terlal QecldrALlOu WilI AlS oi6iAiAASout sA7 fusion to the fact that France has the force to compel compliance witb the treaty if necessary.
 EXPERTS WILL REPORT eA The reparations question will come up 5 on the report of the allied experts who met the Germans at Brussels in which they recommend that pending final de- termination of the total of Germany's debt, Germany shall pay five annual m stallments of three billion of francs in gold, of which the minimum in cash IS to be fixed by the allies.
 The council also probably will consider the answer which it will make to the declaration of the German ambassador Wilhelm Mayer Won Kaufbeuren, to M. Briand that Germany will be unable to pay any cash for some time to come.
 The experts will recommend that ter many be allowed to retain 3OO,OO tons of shipping which remains to be turned over to the allies and that the expenses of occupation of the Rhineland be re- duced. They will reject the demands or the German experts for the suppression of the plebiscite in upper Sicilisla TOT an indefinite period; the postponement or payments in cash; the restitution of se- questrated Germany property abroad which has not yet been liQuidated in or der that Germany may use it as security for credits, and reduction in Germany's coal deliveries. They also will propose the suppression of cash advances by the allies on the price of coal delivered.