Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-06-07
Notifications Of
PREPARATIONS PACT
To BURDEN FRANCE
BY ANDRE TARDIEU
(For1ner French High Commissioner
to America and Delegats to the Peace
Conference.)
Especial Cable to The Journal)
Copyright, 1879

Copyright, 1879
PARIS, June 4.-France is about
to be saddled with heavy burden of
taxation to pay for a great part of
the reconstruction of her northern
provinces, and to provide war pen
sions, all because Germany has been
granted a remission of more than
one-third of her just war debt--from
sixty to ninety billions Of francs.
On account of this, and deficient
revenues this year,-we are facing a
supplementary fiscal burden of at
| least seven billion francs a year,
Which when submitted to the tax
payers is certain to cause unanimous
irritation, because the whole of
France considers it unjust to make
the French people pay instead Of the
Germans in plain contradiction of
the promises of the treaty of Ver-
sailles.
This realization comes at a time
when news from beyond the Rhine is
only moderately satisfactory. 1t is
true the Wirth cabinet has paid
| single billion eXacted under the Lon
don agreement, instead of the twelve
billions which according to the treaty
she should have paid on May 1.
But Bavaria still refuses to dis
arm.
German Penetration
German troops continue to pene-
trate upper Silesia. We see we'll
known agents Of pre-war imperialism
now in the German cabinet, men like
Rosen, the foreign minister, one Of
the most vehement opponents of the
recent settlement, and like Rathenau
the minister of reconstruction. To
profess confidence in these men and
this situation. as Premier BRAND did
in this weeks debates in the cham
Der of deputies. demands great Gre
dulity.
These debates, based upon the diff
ferent and the difficult problems
suggested by the London reparations
agreement, resulted, in vote in tn
chamber which requires some analy-
sis. Out of six hundred and twenty
deputies. three hundred and ninety
approved the government in an order
of the day which pointed out that the
melancholy London decisions repre-
SSllI TIE lrIeQuclDle mlnlrnu UNI OF
what France can accept. In addition 60
the one hundred and fifty-eight dep
utfes who voted against the govern
ment, about fifty abstained from vot-
ing, which means that more than one
third of the chamber refused to vote
their confidence in the cabinet decla-
rations.
The vote marks the important fact
that there is objection of definite
character to the reduction CT Frances
rights under the Versailles treaty
In pointing out the reasons for the
vote. [ propose to make known to the
American public the present state of
French opinion: l need not empha-
size the fact that it was with any
thing but glad heart that the
French chamber approved a policy
which even NJ. Doumer, the minister
Of finance. himself admits is leaving
France with war burden of at least
sixty billion francs. My estimate
and that of the chairman Of the sem
ate finance commission, is ninety
billions. all of which. according to
the Versailles treaty, Germany ought
to pay.
Yet majority agreed to ratify
this solution of the problem.
Why?
Many Reasons
There are all sorts Of reasons
Some concern home affairs, others
concern the international ituat!oh.
Concerning home affairs. the cham
ber-much to it's credit-dreads a
new ministerial crisis and desires for
France steadfast government. Fur
thermore, the BRAND cabinet had
taken precautions to consolidate it's
forces before the opening of the de-
bate. To the parties of the right it
granted the nomination of an am
bassador to the vatican Ind a gen.
eral chaplain to the Rhine armies. To
the parties of the extreme left, the
police commissioner of Paris was
sacrificed. because he was unpopular
in socialist circles.
Finally the semi-official press had
celebrated the London agreement so
loudly it had made a distinct i'm
preston upon many deputies unfa-
miliar with the complex problems of
the settlement.
Abroad the government found sup
port in the very difficulties which
seemed 70 be disturbing the relations
between France and Great Britain in
regard to Upper Silasia.-
The government waved the threat
of rupture" and Isolation before
the eyes of the deputies.
1 had occasion, like many mem
bers of the parliament, to remind the
people that the viewpoint of the
British government was open to dis
cussion and possibly open even to
modification, without the danger of
a break with Great Britain. Clemen-
ceau proved this on many occasions
by acts during the war and during
the peace negotia lions.
But the French parliament, tired
of the constant negotiations and IN"
ter-allied conferences of the last ten
months, yielded to the hope thai the
London agreement. once ratified
would be the last.
So there is the Illusion that me
conferences are finished. But many
hold the contrary view and say that
because we have violated the stlpu-
lations of the Versailles treaty we
have condemned ourselves to perpet-
ual private negotiations and are de-
prived Of the firm basis afforded by
the signed and ratified treaty.
Terrible Tax Burden
What is certain, and what Will
probably decide French opinion in a
more positive way, is the terrible
our shoulders.
Meantime the unsatisfactory news
from beyond the Rhine. is complicat.
ed by the fact that stability has nor
been established in the east. Pan.
German agitation, the effects Of
which are felt in central Europe. is
pushing it's way into Turkey. The
Angora government is bound to the
soviet regime and Germany is losing
sight neither of Moscow nor of Asia
Because we have failed to compel
Germany to execute the treaty she
signed with the allied powers, we
have engendered a spirit Of anarchy
inside Europe and out. The game
has become SO complicated that pub
lie opinion is giving up the attempt
to follow conditions in the various
countries.
A certain detachment is shown re-
garding politics. This psychological
condition in my opinion is one Of the
most disturbing features of the pres
ent state of affairs in the world.
The war was won by a united will
and mind and heart. Neither by in
difference nor division can the peace
of the world be organized.