New-York tribune., 1921-04-29
British Stand Ends All
Chance of Further Ne
gotiation; No New Pro-
posal To Be Suggested
Officials Plainly
Are Disappointed
Failure to Settle Repara-
tiOns Issue Held Chief
Obstacle to Normalcy
By Carter Field

WASHINGTON, April 28.-The public
declaration of Lloyd George thai the
latest reparation proposals by the Ger
mans are unsatisfactory seems to have
brought the present informal negotia-
tion to an end and to have removed
the last possibility of avoiding the
occupation of the German Ruhr coal
fields by the French troops on SUNDAY
morning.
Not that there has been any partcu-
lar doubt about this phase of the situa.
tion for two days, as pointed out ir
The Tribune's Washington dispatches
yesterday and this morning, but Lloyc
Georges statement to the House Of
Commons, as cabled here this after
noon, brought the thing out into the
open. His declaration made it impossi.
bic any longer even for the most Opt
mistic observer to hope that the
Hughes-Simons memoranda exchanges
would lead anywhere In time to pre-
vent the French from going furthc,
into Germany.
The only glimmer of hope that re-
mained after the news of the LLOYD
George speech here was snuffed out a
little later in the afternoon by the very
positive assurance from a spokesman
of the Administration that there was
no intention Of this government com
municating with Berlin with view to
having proposals just made modified in
any particular.
Allies Veto New Farley
This government now understands
pretty thoroughly, despite the insist.
ence at the State Department that
nothing definite has happened, that
the Allies will not consent to reopen
ing negotiations on the basis of the
latest German proposals. Consequently
the statement that there is to be nc
suggestion by this government to Ger
many of desire for changes does not
leave very many doors open for the re.
opening of the negotiations. The view
here, therefore, is that nothing car
possibly happen now which would pre-
vent the French troops seizing the
Ruhr coal fields on Sunday morning.
Secretary Hughes seems to retair
his optimism about the situation, al
though he is known to have had high
proposals for reopening the repara
tions negotiations which would induce
the Allies to sit down at a conference
table with them again. His hope was
that this time, with the consent of al
parties concerned, the United States
would have a representative at that
conference table and that the tremen
dous interests of this country in the
outcome of those reparations negotia.
tions would be taken care of by this
representative.
President Harding and Mr.. Hughes
believe that the return to normalcy
and good times in this country is being
held up more by the failure of the
Germans and the Allies to get to-
gether on the amount and terms cf the
reparations than on any other one
thing, not even excepting the railroad
situation.
Outcome a Disappointment
But while there is no comment from
tie Administration as to the personal
judgment of either Mr.. Harding or Mr.,
Hughes, or for that matter of anv other
important member of the official family
on the latest German proposal, it is
known that the disappointment at the
outcome has been growing keener with
crystalized their judgment against ac-
cepting the proposal.
representatives of three Allied pow
ers called on Secretary Hughes to-day
to notify him that the German pro-
posals were not acceptable to their
governments. Sir Auckland Geddes,
the British Ambassador, was the first
to call at the State Department. He
conferred with the Secretary for half
an hour. Baron de Marchienne, the
Belgian Ambassador, called next, and
later in the day Prince de Chalais,
Counselor of the French Embassy,
visited Secretary Hughes's Office.
Prince de Chalais was acting for Am
bassador Jusserand, who is absent from
Washington
The statement of Bernard M. Baruch,
Continued next paee)