The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1921-04-15
Paris Ready to Set Up Customs
Posts Over Entire Industrial
Region of Westphalia.
NEW RHINE CUSTOMS STATE
Hopes to Win Over Great Britain to
Its PIan-New Occupation Design
ed to Throttle Munition Making in
Germany by Control of Industry.
Y Y Y x y Y x y Y y y " y y y "
VlVIANl GETS AN ANSWER

y Observation-Disclosures VIVIAN mas y
y received his answer to his mis- Y
y sion, at least a provisional an
y swer to cover the present emer- y
y gency, and it is as follows: Y
Y O Germany must "acknowl- y
y edge responsibility y
y (2) She must make reparation y
Y "to the limit of her ability" y
- (3) Her ability to pay must be Y
Y determined fairly and justly" y
Y (I The allied obligations to y
Y the United States must stand in y
Y tact, though this nation will not
y act the part of a tyrannical cred Y
y itor. y
" Y
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Paris.-As the first result of the visit
/ the United States OF Rene Viviani,
Envo.:- Extraordinary, and the Ameri-
can declaration that she will support
the Allied policy of exacting full
repa-ations from Germany, France
probably will extend the customs
frontier of the new Rhine customs
state to include the whole industrial
region of Westphalia. France still has
British reluctance to overcome before
this is done, but it is hoped that Eng
land will not shrink from the course
which is urged by France and morally
supported by the United States.
The French are profoundly satisfied
with the American declaration and
now feel that France has Il much 1reer
hand in pursuing her plans to make
Germany pay her war bills.
In all previous negotiations on the
subject of Germany's reparation pay
ments France has acted with a great
doubt in her mind whether America
would hasten peace with Germany and
become intolerant of the measures
taken by the Allies which tend to con-
troll German purchases and exports.
She feared that the United States
might be attracted by the role OF me-
diator between tie Allies and Germany
and for selfish reasons desire tC use
min mum rather than maximum pen
alties inflicted on Germany.
Before stalking Frances future in
final round of the reparations dispute
the Paris government desired to gauge
at first hand the pulse of American
opinion on the subject. Reports of the
success in Washington of Rene Viviani
therefore are received here with salts
faction and gratitude.
France, in touch with Great Britain
and Italy, will nov prepare the final
act of the reparations drama, which,
it is hoped, will not take tragic turn
before +he end. Now that the Allies
a. in agreement as to the method of
setting UP the Rhine customs barrier
and Oh taxes to be imposed on the
Germans, it will be a comparatively
small matter to push this customs
frontier eastward tI enty or thirty
kilometers. However little money this
extension of the occupied area may
bring in as compared to the enormous
sums owed by Germany, it will at least
place the district where Germany man.
ufactureS0 her arms and ammunition
under Allied control. France will then
be certain that Germany cannot begin
extensive preparations for new war
and can bend all her energies to exact
ing reparation payments in the form
of industrial interests and cash.
The French press quotes apprOvingly
the advice of Frank II. Simonds that
whatever France intends to Go she
should do quickly. The newspapers
say this expresses the general feeling
in the United States. France would
willingly take such advice if she could
conquer British reluctance.
France would like to see new in
dustrial orientation in Westphalfa, so
that this great manufacturing district
would not consider itself a slave of
the Berlin government and be forced
to drop all other business if called
upon by the German government to
manufacture materials of war. If the
Rhine industrial region could be sepa-
rated from the dictation of the rest
of Germany and would permit Ct ex-
tensive French participation in indus
tries there this would give a guaran-
tv of peace that would go long way
toward replacing the Anglo-Americal-
French treaties of guaranty.