New-York tribune., 1921-12-09
Mellon May Go
To London on
German Debt
international Meeting in
January Believed Certain;
Rathenau,F French Minister
and Lloyd George Confer
Berlin Wins British Loan
Told No Relief Can Be
Given ON January and
February Reparations
From The Tr.bune's Europear Bureau

Copyright, 1921, New York Tribune Inc.
LONDON, Dec. 8.-A series of infor-
NAL conferences between the Allies and
Germany on reparation payments that
seem to be preliminary to general in
ternational gathering to decide what
disposition is to be made Of Germany's
war bill began here to-day. They are
developing out of the simultaneous
presence in London, apparently not
prearranged, of Walter Rathenau, head
of the German Electric Company and
a member of the Berlin Cabinet and
Louis Loucheur, French Minister of
Devastated Regions. They are staying
at the same hotel. When Loucheur ar
rived to-day Rathenau decided to post
pone his departure for home for sew
eral days.
Mellon May Attend
The drift of negotiations between
these men and Premier Lloyd George
being pursued by Loucheur tonight at
the Premier's country home, Chequers
Court, where he is spending the night,
is still shrouded in secrecy, although it
is apparent that an international fnan-
cial conference with all the powers
represented has been decided upon, to
be held next month, probably in Lon
don The United States Treasury De-
partment will be represented, and it
is understood here that Secretary An
drew w. Mellon may come himself for
the meetings.
1t has been virtually confirmed, also,
a o
and February payments on the war bill,
because the Allies cannot revise the
reparations schedule before these fall
due. Rathenau has been advised that
this is the attitude of the British gov
ernment.
Although he has been disappointed in
this respect, Rathenau is reported to
have been successful in the other pur-
pose of his mission to London, the ne
gotiation of loan. British bankers
are said to have agreed to lend the
Berlin government .f6,000,000.
SHINES Said to Have Failed
Rathenau and Loucheur first met
officially when they negotiated the
Wiesbaden agreement, under which
France agreed to take part of the sum
due her from Germany in materials
instead OF caSh. lnlS agreement may
be revised in the negotiations now in
progress here. 1t seems that Stinnes's
visit to London was not successful
because the coal baron is too far
removed from seeing things from the
Allied point of view, and Rathenau
was sent because he had been success
full before.
Sir Robert Horne, British Chancellor
of the Exchequer, has had several
! conferences with Rathenau in the last
few days and to-day had long talk
with Loucheur, although the trend OF
their discussions was not made public
1t is known that one of the primary
purposes of the January conference
will be to discuss the stabilizatior
of exchange rates, and it is thought
that this question might have beer
gone over by the Allied and German
leaders in connection with their con-
sideration of reparations.
Asks Breathing Spell
Rathenau told high American off.
cial here that all Germany wanted was
a breathing spell. He said he believed
| that European business would recover
| steadily from this time on, and tina,
conditions in Germany would improve
| rapidly if too great a handicap were
not put on the country now.
| British bankers agree with these
statements Of the German negotiator
CONTINUED on next pass)