The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-02-02
REICHSTAG FILLED
TO HEAR DR.. SIMONS
Continued from First Page.

were nearly as numerous as the men in
the galleries. Many of them carried
hand luggage. Apparently they had
rushed into Berlin and gone direct to
the Reichstag to hear the Governments
decision.
on the question Of PREPARATIONS Dr.
Simons sad
in all we shall have 10 pay in forty
two years a total Of 226 600, 600, 600 gold
marks or more than 100000. 100000
paper. The Allies second demand is
that for forty-two years Germany pay
II per cent ad valorem on German ex-
ports.
obviously It has been estimated that
in this way one or two billions can be
obtained from Germany.
That could not have been done in
the most hourishng OF pre-war times.
The whole settlement is obscure. What
about the securities we already have
handed the Allies? Apart from these
obscurities the new programme un-
doubtedly contains a contradiction of
the peace treaty.
ut is impossible for German eco
nomic life to continue in an amending
state of uncertainty. We can only as
sumo that the sum now placed before
us is more or les. arbitrary The fixed
sum of 226. 900 900, 900 gold marks il
calculated in paper is more than the
whole fortune of the German people
1T would be against common sense
TO burden the German people with such
financial obligations at moment when
we believe we have shown our oppo-
nents in what a bad condition our
finances are. But then comes the de-
mand for 226, 900, 000 900 of marks in
instruments of forty-two years and the
np,c 10 al
German people, and particularly of the
workers.
THE IL per cent. al valorem tax is
unconscionably heavy and injurious
both at home and abroad With rise
in the exchange rate of the mark these
conditions must result in the throttling
of the German export industry.
Regarding penaltes-they have not
been communicated to us We cannot be
| threatened with punishment II We do not
accept a proposal. Otherwise it is no
longer a proposal. but an order. l, there
fore, could assume that the penalties
will apply only to disarmament.
THE Entente will permit me to say
that | regard their threat to refuse our
entry into the League of Nations as pre-
mature as we have not yet asked for
admission.
ION the contrary. as far as the league
| is concerned, the inducement to enter it
! Is not at present so great as to counter
act the terrors of non-entry.
I'VE have been informed that German
| Observation-Disclosures would be invited to
meet allied delegates in London at the
end Of February. fswould point out that
the invitation has not yet been received.
but that the German Government must
! now say and | have the authority to
say II. that the arrangement as set forth
in the Entente's second note is not re-
garded by us as possible ground for
! further negotiations
| Here the Foreign Minister'S words
were greeted with cheering
1T will naturally be our duty to do
our utmost. despite formidable difficult
ties. to draw up clear counter proposals.
IL should not be assumed that even If
these demands have been imposed
upon Germany so much can be got out
of her as is expected. An appeal must
be made to German free will.
"The German will not labor as n
slave in the same manner he does when
ne IS a free man
For us n valuable concession lies in
the fact that the arrangement has De
parted in so many ways from the peace
treaty, and we shall take advantage OF
this
summing up, | reiterate that VIC can
not accept as a basis for further neSo-
tiations the arrangements suggested by
the Allies We shall now seek to draw
un new proposals to present to the
allied Governments.