The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-02-06
BRITISH PREMIER
WARNS GERMANY
AGAINST EVASION
She Can Pay Reparations
Bill, He Asserts, but
Shirks Real Effort.
TREATY rs NOT SCRAP
Folly Of 1914 Cited by Lloyd
George in Demanding
Disarmament.
TOO MANY GUNS MADE
SimOns Advised to Beware of
Militarist Clique Because
Allies Mean Business.
By the Associated Press.

BIRMINGHAM, England, Feb 5.-The
British Prime Minister'S advice to Ger
many is to accept the bill for repara-
tons as formulated by the Supreme
Council at Paris.
Our claim is a righteous one and
declared in a speech here to-day, when
he received the freedom Of the city OF
Birmingham He replied to the speech
in the Reichstag recently by DIR. Wal
ter Simons. in which the German For
eign Minister stated the Preparations
plan could not be accepted by Ger
many as a basis for negotiations.
"a great part of this speech" the
Premier said. was based on a complete
misconception of what had been done at
Paris. Such misconception could be
cleared up in the forth coming London
conference If full bill were sent to
Germany according to the Versailles
treaty. she would be compelled to accept
Ii, but fail TO see. how that would i'm
prove matters and / very respectfully
advise DIR. Simons TO take the Paris bill
Ready for Counter Plans.
IF he has any alternative proposals
the Allies are prepared to consider them
SO long as the proposals represent bona
fide effort to liquidate the liabilltie.
Of Germany. We are willing that Ger.
many should pay us Under conditions
which best suit her own means. require.
ments and resources. but II 1t is a mere
attempt to evade payment we cannot
put up with that"
Mr. Lloyd George said that befor,
the last election he laid IL down tha
Germany was morally bound to pay fol
the wanton damage she had inflicted
but that one could only get from
debtor what he was capable of paying
He asserted In this connection that Ger
many must not be allowed to pay in
ceiving payment-by cheap goods. foi
example
Mr.. Lloyd George pointed out, will
regard to the problem of exchanges. tha
Germany. being temporarily bankrupt
represented a battling difficulty to tn,
experts when II came TO The question o.
her paying outside her own frontiers
With all these difficulties In mind. h,
said, the Allies had reached certain con
clusions last week and had presented
bill which was framed on the basis o
German prosperity. II Germany wer.
not prosperous she could not pay. and &
she were prosperous she could and must
Could Get Biu Any Time.
DR.. Simons. the German Foreign Min
ister. was an honest and sincere states
man, and-he had said that he meant I,
carry out Germany's obligations II n,
possibly could. continued the Premier
Dr. simons had complained that he hac
not received the bill In full, but ne couic
nave II at any time, for II was ready
Mr. Lloyd George declared. Once III,
German people got their minds off III,
war and on peace they would soon he
come prosperous. the Premier predicted
MI Lloyd George said his advice Il
Gernany would be 20 accept the b1l
and not allow herself TO lie m!sled b,
passion and repeat the follies OF 1914
Germany, he pointed out, had not ve,
taxed herself 10 tho level OF ,;rea
Britain and France. and he considered 4,
intolerable that the guilty country
which escaped damage during the war
should bear a lighter burden OF taxa.
ton than her victims.
The burden imposed upon GERMANY nv
tho Allied Council. he said was not OK.
travagant. For the first few years. IN,
Premier declared. it vas not equal tc
the pension bills of England and France
II was not a question OF imposing eco.
nomic slavery on the German workers
nc insisted. Somebody had TO pay for
the devastation OF France. and shosld
IL, he asked. be the workers OF France
wno had resisted the foe"
His Uneasy Feeling.
Dr. Slmons had the right 10 present
alternative proposals. Mr.. Lloyd George
conceded. but IL these proposals repre-
sented mere attempt TO avoid paymen;
the Allies would not tolerate them. AT
Sna, he said. he had an uDs--sy feoiia,
that behind Dr. simons were the men
Of 1914, bu; 'he assumption OF power
by tho provokers Of tho war could no,
bo permitted. Tho sword must be
srcathed for all time. nc declared.
Nothing would harden tho allied poo
ples against Germany more than tho
feeling that she was still animated by
the idea OF treating treaties as they
treated those OF fifty or sixty years
ago-as scraps * paper
"Our claim Is n righteous one and VIC
must enforce H." Mr. Lloyd George
exclaimed.
He declared that Germany mus; full
fil her obligations as TO disarmament.
Since the armlstlce she had made great
progress in disarming. he conceded. but
she still had too many war materials
and too many men trained In arms
ha nded together IN Irregular comblna-
tlons. France had been terribly raw
ished and had the right 20 say that
she could not take the risk os similar
things occurring again.
The Premier announced that the. Allies