The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-06-26

| or reparationS payments. A demand Tor gold, in whatever market made, Is instantly translated Into a de- |and for dollars
 Bankers are clamoring for sus- pension of further payments until less perilous method can be de-. |sed Thus the paradox which some | cry able economists endeavored to |lake clear even back at the time or Inc peace conference is already talk Ing shape, and the allies, rather than Eermany, may be first to plead TOT cessation or curtailment of the [eparations payment.
 An Illustration A simple illustration of what IS happening may be set down as loi- |pws: A shoe dealer wins a suit TOT amages against his next door com |etitor. But when he tries to col |Act the enormous bill. he discovers I,at he must let his rival capture be bulk of trade in that street Tn |rder to make enough money to meet he payments.
 | The rival offers payment in shoes |,stead of cash. But the creditor |ees that this would mean shutting |own his own shop while he sold off | Ia competitor's goods Thus he IS I,ced by the dilemma of foregoing avment before damages or allowing 'be debtor to capture his trade. |rither way means a big sacrifice, Which sacrifice Is the greater! That is substantially the dilemma khich the allies now are racing anu Iyhich the difficulties and compilca- kons caused by the first German pay hents have made apparent. These difficulties concern cnierly Francs, which is not only the bigges. |eparations creditor but IS the one ation which steadfastly has refused Ia envisage any other solution of +s fiscal troubles than making Ger |nany pay cash.
 Such an indemnity never has been |onsidered by the British treasury. The British indemnity was received |n the form of German ships and has long since produced its effects. the lowering of tonnage values and the |topping of ship construction on the hyde. However, that loss has been |wallowed.
 French Fright. The French fright about the situa- lion produced by this paradoxicai I tate of affairs, is somewhat shock |hgly Illustrated by new law which War Minister Barthou has succeeded h placing on the statute books with |n the last few days. The aim Of 'his law Is to prevent communists Igitation tending to SOW the seeds | |f discomfort and lack of discipline in he army.
 If greatly overshoots the mark. {owever, and constitutes a real threat civil liberty. 1t provides, first, |hat soldiers owe obedience to of |cers no matter what orders may be kiven, with Imprisonment up to five Tears and a fine up to twenty thous- Ind francs for resistance in any form. Similar punishment Is provided for Uncover attempts to excuse such ac- Hon, or whoever appeals to mothers r wives of soldiers with anti-mili-
 ary propaganda- Lastly, 1t is pro- tided that only courts of correction hay try cases under the act and they hay forbid all publication of evil Rence, punishing any newspaper writ }r who does SO
 No legal expert is needed to point but the abuses possible under such ] law. It gives to Martinets rein ks free as in pre-war Russia and Rven makes it risky for papers to $riticize them lest this criticism be Interpreted as condoning disobedience Permitting inferior courts to forbid
 he publication of proceedings, places
 hem beyond the control of public kpinion and gives an intolerant or Sliable political judge unlimited and
 rbitrary powers.
 To Check Propaganda.
 Such rigor is hardly explainables
 n the theory that it is needed to
 heck communistic propaganda. since
 ccording to all conservative opinion.
 ommunist influence in France at
 resent is pitifully weak The writer
 card M. Bathou himself declare just
 he other day that the violent com
 hunistic agitation against the Ruhr
 Mobilization a few weeks ago pro-
 uced a negligible effect upon the
 lorals of the army
 One can only surmise that it may
 rove handy to have such law on
 he books if it should become neces-
 bry to use the army for internal po-
 ce duty. Such a contingency is as
 let remote, but violent shock cas-
 y may result from efforts to shift
 rance to sound economi, basis
 hen the difficulties of collecting
 rom Germany without running
 rance become apparent
 POSTOFFICE ROBBED.