The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1921-12-15
TELLS OF REAL
FRENCH PROBLEM
Reconstruction Heads List
According to Maurice
Casenaye
CBy Associated Pres8)

NEW YORK, Dec. 15.-The
problern OF reconstruction super
cedes all others in France, Mau-
rice Casenave, chief financial ad-
yIsor TO the French Delegation at
the arms conference declared IN an
address today before a dinner OF
the national industrial conference
hoard. The economic situation of
France, he added, must necessar-
lily be OF interest to the whole
world.
NJ. Casenave described the re-
cent Wiesebaden agreement be-
tween Germany and France as
1.-The most momentous OF all nego-
tiations since the treaty OF Yer
sailles."
"It begins collaboration with
the living, working Germany
with that part OF Germany which
honestly wants to pay Its debts
he declared. 'It proves that
France does not seek to ruin Ger
many"
The agreement, the speaker said
established a corporation repre-
sentinE all the French sufferers
of war damages. This corporation
will receive orders from such sut-
ferers for such material as they
may need for reconstruction, up
to the sum OF one million gold
marks per annum. They viii be
handed by the French corpora
tion to a committee Of Germans
which will represent leading Ger
man manufacturer OF all types OF
materials, payment for these mate.
rials in Germany being made at
the price of the material bought
on the French internal market.
The German committee or cor
porution, according to further
outline Of tho plan by NJ. Case
nave, will open n credit In Ger
many on behalf OF the French
committee or corporation OF all
amount Of seven billion gold
marks, to be repaid in 1886.
The German seller will be paio
! by the German organization, the
/ amount of each payment being
placed to the credit Of the Ger,
man government and deducted
from the German debt. Interest
at five percent will be paid 10 Ger
many. NJ. Casenave said, because
of the anticipated payments which
! she Is to make. and II In 1886 tins
date of the maturity of the said
! credit, "the rights Of France tc
indemnity have not reached the
sum of seven billion gold marks
France shall pay in cash the dit'
ference between the amount oi
the indemnity duo her and the said
sum of seven billions"
"Oue can see that this agree
ment has the great advantage OF
bringing the question OF repara.
tions from the financial to the
economic ground, the speaker
/ continued. France knows that al
hope of being paid the debt owed
! to her is in the commercial reh abb
! lIation of Germany which Is
bound up with the rehabilitation
and stabillzation of tho mark
Anything which can bring this re-
suit was considered by France
with a favorable eye"
| Contrary to prevailing rum oTs
Franco from the very beginning
tried to organize practical set
tlement OF reparations with the
allies as we'll as with Germany
The treaty of Versailles provided
for reparatious in species and II
goods, but numerous obstacles
material as we'll as moral, stooc
in the way OF their fultillment
Only time and experience coulc
furnish means to overcome these
obstacles.
This is the reason why We be
gan by financing reparatlons ou'
of. our own resources and without
waiting until Germany would b'
ready to pay.
"Time has proven that Germany
could not pay reparatlons II
money, and that an arrangement
for payments, partly in goods
was necessary.
"A first attempt was made II
this direction by the Brussels CON
ference in December, 1920 and II
CONTINUED on page tWol