New-York tribune., 1921-04-21
Note of April Is Said to
Include Offer to Assume
Allied Debt to America
and Pay Definite Sum
International Court
Also Basis of Plan
Mediation Proffers Re.
fused; Reichsbank Head
Opposes Seizure of Gold
By Joseph Shaplen
BIZ Wireless to The Tribune


BERLIN, April 20.-A communi.
cation was dispatched by the Ger
man government to Washington on
April Is containing three basic pro-
posals for reparations to the Allies,
it was said definitely to-day by tho
Vossische Zeitung. So far as can be
learned, no reply has yet been re-
ceived.
These new proposals, according to
the newspaper, are for the payment
Of a definite sum to the Allies, as
sumption of the Allies debt to Amer
lea by Germany and the appoint
ment Of an international court to de-
termine the extent of payments al
ready made by Germany on the
twenty billion gold marks due MAY /.
Despite the absence of any word
from the United States, it is asserted
the government hopes to be able to ap-
pear before the Foreign Committee Of
the Reichstag with definite information
before the week is out.
Statement by Simons Expected
The convening of the Reichstap to.
morrow afternoon will give Foreign
Minister Simons an opportunity to
make his long-waited statement on the
reparations question, in answer to tho
Interpolation of the Independents.
Whether DR.. Simons will have q state
ment ready, however, is problematical,
and depends on whether q reply has
been received from Washington by that
time.
It is now possible to give an
authoritative, connected idea of Dr..
Slmons's movements in the direction of
reparations since his return from Swift
zerland: Persons close to the Foreign
discussed reparations with Swiss Of
ticials and financiers, he did not re-
guest them to mediate; neither has
Czccho- -Slovakia offered or been re-
quested to act as mediator. Germany,
however, has received offers from other
sources to transmit a reasonable pro-
posal to the United States which would
be transmitted to the Allies if it met
with encouragement in America.
Restoration Plan Suggested
1t could not be ascertained, however,
whether American opinion was first
sought regarding the possible contents
of such proposition.
What is regarded as a semi-official
indication of part of the forthcoming
German reparations offer is published
in the Frankfurter Zeitung, which ia
close to the Foreign Office. This jour
nai features the proposal submitted by
the president of the German Fedora
ton OF Trade Unions in a memoran-
dunn to the government outlining
plan of restoration for devastated
France and Belgium, with project for
financing them.
The publication of this proposal in
the Frankfurter Zeitung at this juno
ture Is regarded as an unmistakable
effort on the part of the government
to sound the attitude of the Allies
through the Allied press on this propo-
sition, which probably will be en-
bodied in the forthcoming offer.
The Union Federation urges the i'm
mediate restoration of devastated areas
and adds significantly: Germany 10
unable herself to raise the necessary
means of an international loan. The
latter, however, will be realizable only
when Germany takes other steps to
convince the world that she is in earn
est, and this the government is urgent.
ly requested to do"
Opposes Transfer of Reserve
The memorandum then outlines tech.
nical details concerning the giving OF
German supplies and labor to France
and Belgium, with guarantees designed
to prevent economic distress in these
countries. The publication of this
memorandum follows a series of con-
ferences between union chiefs and the
government.
President Havenstein of the Reichs-
bank issued a statement to-day declar-
ing that Germany must not under any
circumstances accede to the demands
of the Allies that the Reichsbank gold
reserve be transferred to Cologne or
Coblenz.
II regard the demand as utterly i'm.
possible" he said, "and we must ex.
Glide any idea of its acceptance, for
this would mean the destruction of our
exchange and our entire national econ
omy.
II have not yet learned the attitude
Of the Cabinet, but it goes without
saying that the government will posi-
lively reject the demands. No govern
ment in Germany would be able to &C.
cept such a demand, for it is impoSsi-
BILE to carry out impossibilities.
Havenstein expressed the opinion
that the demand is only one Of many
which Germany must expect in the next
few weeks.