The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1921-01-28
GERMANS ACCEPT
FRENCH PLAN
Means Heavy Loss to America if
Proposals End in Final Agree
ment With Allies.
WOULD CUT OUR EXPORTS
Naturalization to Be Nude Largely
In Gods and Raw Materials Through
Trade credts-Several Conditions
Set-BerIn to Hold Upper Silesia.

Berlin, Germany.-The German gov
eminent has accepted French proposals
as basis for negotiating reparation
settlement with the Entente Allies.
France and England have agreed that
the PREPARATIONS sum shall not be set
at the present time, but, instead, that
comprehensive plan be worked out
for reparation payments in goods and
raw materials in annual amounts for
period of years, Accepting this as a
basis for negotiations. Germany has
set several conditions, according to the
Taegliche Rundschau. These cOndi-
lions. it says, are:
That Upper Silesia be retained by
Germany.
2. That the army of occupation be
reduced.
8. Shipping tonnage be restored to
Germany.
The French proposals, should ley
be accepted finally in their salient
points, would result in such a close
interlocking of French and German
industry that they would entail prac-
tically a loss to America of both
France and Germany as heavy buy
ers. They would put an end to the
possibility of America becoming the
chief lender for 4crmany's manufac-
tured goods.
If Germany accepts the program the
long arguments over renarations will
be settled and Germany will virtually
become the economic subject Of
France. Preparations would in large
measure be paid by the foreign trade
of the new partnership.
Such a settlement would on he
hand, remove the hostility between
France and Germany, and so go far
towards safeguarding European peace.
On The other h;.nd, 1t would promptly
wreck the plans of American business
men to reap grea. advantages from
the power now pos essed by the United
States and to profit from the rehabili-
tation of Germany.
The French proposals to Germany
are in the form of practical method
for direct Naturalization which IN it.
self appears to be routine detail. BY
the scheme those Frenchmen who were
industrial losers by the war would be
TO reDl.c' their property
destroyed through dealings directly
Nth German sellers Then these buy
ers would present the bills f0' their
purchases directly TO their local French
bans, and since they had suffered
losses by the war they would not have
TO pay.
This is one Of, the provisions of the |
arrangement which makes |
the French scheme so significant The |
idea is that in all deals above a certain |
amount which allied bus ness men
make with German business men they |
can enjoy these special banking facil-
ties, while the Reparatlon Commits
sion deducts' n portion of the sales
Drice-say 10 or % per eent-whiCh is
placed to the cr,di: of Germany's rep
lrations amount.
1t is the purpose of Tie allies TO
make this form Of trading with Ger
many as attractive as possible, either ]
~ reducing customs 'harges or by
making special exchange "ate conces-
,ions. This credit opened with the
R sichs0ank by the Reparations Com
mission could also be used for recruit
ng lahCrers for the rebuilding # the
levi stated areas of France, to engage !
l.rectly GermaL workers ard to pay
'or lodging and board of these work
.rs only while the Reichsbank pays the
bills for the SUPPORT of the working
mems families at home.