New-York tribune., 1921-12-15
Finds American Sentiment
Is Against Conference
Here ON Questions of
Concern to the Continent
May Accept Plan Later
BRAND Gains Support of
Belgium for Repara,ions
Talk With Lloyd George
BY Wilbur Forrest

Washington will serve as the seat in
the almost immediate future OF an in
ternational conference to consider the
worlds financial and economic prob
lens, including Europe's maladies, as
indicated by Premier Lloyd Georges
wish expressed in persistent dispatches
from England, seemed small to-day,
less than a week before the BRAND
Lloyd George conference scheduled to
be held in London.
The Tribune correspondent learned
that France is not now disposed to take
up the reparations question or other
purely European affairs with the United
States, the main reason being that the
French plenipotentiaries have sounded
out the American Administration and
hnd that the United States desires no
such program.
May Accept Call Later
When the premiers meet in London
Monday Premier BRAND will make
known Frances Interpretation of Amer
lean desires, and will urge his British
colleague to cooperate in untangling
European and especially Franco British
questions first and then look forward to
the American call for meeting on
world and economic questions. That
Germany, once unincumbered of her
present embarrassment, would be in
vtted to such q conference was consid-
cred possible here.
A fortnight ago the idea of smooth
Anglo-French settlement of European
problems without the conciliatory in
huence of the Washington conference
seemed particularly futile. To-day
there is q change, and the horizon is
>, ko, I4a he
with the result that many Frenchmen
are convinced that there has been a
complete turn Of British policy to that
OF nation seeking to cooperate rather
shan to dominate European and world
affairs
They point to Britain's remuneration
Of sole mastery over the sea, her ad-
herence to France in her inclusions in
the Pacific pact, and are surprisingly
certain of the aniable attitude of Lloyd
George. If Lloyd George and BRAND,
therefore, should quarrel at their Lon
don meeting, as they have often done
cause Frenchmen believe it has not
been so much Lloyd George as the Brit
ish policy of domination that has lain
back of these Anglo-French differences.
France on Equal Terms
If this policy is actually scrapped,
~ is indicated by England's new policy
not to consider France second class
European power, then Frenchmen think
the time has arrived for the two
premiers to put their feet on common
ground and genuinely to cooperate in
the problems in which both nations are
vitally concerned.
At any rate, this is Frances forecast.
which may be borne out in the coming
Anglo-French conference, which can be
preliminary not only to the European
council, but to the world economic and
financial congress under the auspices
Of the United States at Washington.
Irrespective of interchanges between
France and America, Secretary Hoov-
er's recent speech was recalled here, in
which he said in effect that the United
States will work with Europe in the
efforts toward reconstruction, but that
the German reparations and the Euro
pean problems must be settled before
they work together. This is assumed
here to have meant also the near East
ern questions, which are distinctly con-
tlnental.
See British View Altered
While unofficial advices to-day from
England suggested that Lloyd George
might take the initiative by attempting
TO convince the United States that
Europe's economic worries cannot be
dissociated from the questions of
Allied debts and that an immediate
American conference on the general
problem is necessary, the opinion here
IL the British Premier may change his
mind after the conference with BRAND.
The consultation next week is re-
garded as one of the most important
between the two European premiers in
many months.
An element of strength came to
France to-day when she definitely en-
listed the full support of Belgium in
her reparations plans. Thus, when Bri-
and speaks with Lloyd George he will
speak not only in the name of France
but in that of Belgium as we'll. Brands
major contention is that there can be
no moratorium without the assurance
enat Germany must pay up to the limit
OF her ability.
Premier BRAND consulted to-day
with Henri Jaspar, Belgian Minister Of
Foreign Affairs, while M. Loucheur.
Frances Minister Of Devastated Re-
Eions, was closeted with M. Delacroix.
belgiums representative on the rep
arations commission,
II is understood that the Franco
belgian conferences have settled at
least one definite suggestion which
BRAND will place before Lloyd George
with some assurance of the Premier's
suppoEt-namely, that of a German
loan guaranteed mainly by Allied pro
vision for interest payable from Ger
man customs, which Germany would be
required to collect in the form of gold
marks in the case of both import and
export taxation. In view of the de-
piorable condition of British industry
tnere Is the greatest hope that some
sucn plan may be agreeable to Great
Britain.
Would Cut German outgo
Another suggestion is that GERMANY
% required to cease the payment of
interest to her own nationals on in
ternal war loans and that the German
government reimburse the industries
with bonds rather than with cash.
Various plans to force Germany to re-
duce her expenditures also are under
consideration here with Belgium's as
sent, and it is regarded as not impos-
sible that the London conference will
start measures for considerable mar
ing Of the German budget, especially
such items as the ALLEGATION of IL 600 :.
100000 marks to the merchant marine
and $4,000, 100000 marks for the postal
and railway administration, which are
regarded as inconsistent while Ger
many Is talking of her supposed in
ability to meet the next reparations in
sEalment.
A reflection Of the broad position Of
both France and Belgium was con-