New-York tribune., 1921-01-31
Berlin Won't
Even Discuss
Allies Terms
High German Official Saws
No Delegate Will Be Dis
patched to London; De-
mands Called Fantastic
Sees Ruin for Germany
Provision for a Tax on Ex-
ports Is Held to Throttle
the Commerce of Nation
BY William c. Dreher
spec.a, Cable to Ths Trtbun.


Copyright. 1921, New York Tribune Inc.
BERLIN, Jan. 30.-Germany will not
agree to the Paris reparations plan
and will not even send representative
to London to discuss the plan with the
Allied Supreme Council, in the opinion
Of high official of the German Foreign
Office, who was asked by The Tribune
correspondent to-day for an expression
o. the Paris decisions.
1.-THE Allies figures are highly fan
tastic," asserted the official. "They
give rise to doubt whether they are
seriously meant"
What about the punishment for fail
ure to accept them-for example, the
occupation Of the Ruhr Valley?" the
correspondent asked.
We'll, let them try what they can
get by that plan," was the reply. eve
have taken that possibility also into
consideration, and our conclusion is
that occupation can be no worse than
the imposition Of these huge payments
Either alternative spells ruin for Ger
many without bringing the Entente
any nearer their goal.
Must Sell Goods to Pay
Gwen the Paris Temps correctly
states the case when it says that Ger
many can only meet indemnities when
placed in position to produce and sell
goods. Otherwise nothing is obtain
able. We understood that the Paris
conference would be held on the basis
of the Boulogne agreement, but the
sum decided" on at Paris is double the
amount agreed on at Boulogne.
This sudden change of front by the
Allies since the end of December is
amazing. At that time their rapreaens ~
tatives approached us asking us to
waive the stipulation of the treatv
that the ultimate indemnity must be
fixed by May / and proposing annuities
extending over five years until the
question could be studied more thor
oughly. These representatives offered
us an inducement to obtaining our con-
sent that public opinion in their coun-
tries was still in such state that 1t
would not accept such lump sum,
based upon Germany's apparent ability
tc pay, as might be fixed then.
German Plea Unconsidered
"We agreed to this proposition and
Immediately set to work to prepare an
swers to long series of questions
which the Entente submitted to us and
which were designed to fully show
Germany's financial condition and re-
sources.
"But now comes this Paris decision
before our answers could even have
been considered and it caps the alb
surdity of fantastic indemnity with
the demand for levy on export duties
on German goods. This would effec-
lively prevent US from obtaining for
eign trade"
The official drew the correspondents
attention to statement in the Ber-
liner Tageblatt, remarking, "That ex-
presses my views" This statement
said: "The conference was evidently
in a kind of opium intoxication and
conjured up piles of billions like an
Oriental who in that state dreams of
the joys of Paradise. For Germany
these decisions are merely curiosities,
possessing certain psychological in
terest.
"In spite of Germans experiences
under the Versailles treaty. the Ger
man people are united on this point
and no German government could or
would agree to the Paris decisions"