New-York tribune., 1921-02-06
Better Accept Terms as
They Stand, He Advises,
Warns Against Repe=
ing the Folly of 49,
Sirnons Swayed by
.Junker Influence
Great Britain and Franc
Are Taxed More Heavs::
Than Defeated Nasiois
Special Cable to The Trtbuae
OnYrirht 1901 N-nr. IL. T..


BIRMINGHAM, Feb. 5.-Prenier
Lloyd George, speaking hAre this
afternoon on the occasion of his res
celving the freedom of the city, de,
clared that Germany can and nuss
pay indemnities." The Premier said
that although there might be some
revision of the war bill submitted by
the Allies, Germany would dc
we'll to accept the statement as it
stood, and mot allow herself to be
misled by passion and repeat the
folly of 1914"
'If DR.. Simons [German Foreign
Minister] has fair counter proposals
to make" he continued, "the Allies
will consider them, provided they
constitute real effort by Germany
to pay her bills. But if they repre-
sent mere attempt to avoid pay7
ment, we will never put up with
that"
The speech resounded with note, a.
both tirmness and moderation. but the
former predon1inated. Referring to his
own words OF December, 1918, thar
Germany must pay to "the uftermosr
1arthlng," Lloyd George pointed OUT
that one could only get what the debtor
was capable Of paying and that "if
you worry hlm, you may only get the
bill for the costs" He promised that
Germany would not be allowed 10 pav
her bills with cheap goods so as to do
INJURY TO the countries receiving the
payment, but he pointed out the diff
culties which the exchange situation
presented in the payment of obligations
outside of Germany.
Simons's Statement Answered
Lloyd Georges whole speech was a
defense of the decision arrived at last
Saturday by the Allied Supreme Coun-
Gil sitting in Paris. He answered In
some detail the statements of Dr..
Slmons before the Reichstag last Tues
DAY when the German Foreign Minister
announced that the Berlin government
could not accept the Allied war bill.
Lloyd George said he believed that the
agreement arrived at by the Allied
Premiers was fair.
eve started at a comparatively low
figure" he explained, because we real
lied that Germany had great difficulties
to face. We saw that under the present
conditions Germany can only pay the
minimum" But he added that as the
country prospered it would have to pay.
Germany has not yet taxed herselfto
the level reached in Great Britain or
France" he went on. ut isn't a quea-
ton of imposing economic slavery on
the workmen of Germany. Some one
must pay for the devastation of north
ern France, and surely it should not be
the French"
Discussing his suggestion that at the
forthcoming London conference with the
Germans there might be some modifiea-
tion of the Allied estimates. Llovd
George said that he believed DR.. ST.
mons a sincere, honest statesman who
was trying conscientiously to meet the
Allied terms. Sometimes, however, he
said, he had had the feeling that the
men behind DR.. Simons were "men Of
1914"
Central Europe Discussed
Touching on conditions in Central
Europe, the Premier said that the Allies
were trying to assist in the alienation
of distress there. 1t was quite impossi-
Bile, he said, to give an idea OF exactly
what should be done, but he thought that
trade could never flourish there again
until the nations had restored normal,
settled conditions. He said that one cF
the essentials was that Germany should
carry out the letter of the treaty %
Versailles regarding disarmament.
Germany has still far too many
materials of war and trained meq
banded together in irregular combna~
tions," he said. Too many armamenY
factories, he added. were still in exist
encc, and these must be closed if peace
was to be restored permanently. He ad-
mitted that Germany had accelerated
the process of & d-r.lament in recent
weeks.
BIRMINGHAM, England, Feb. 5 (By
The Associated Press ).-"Our claim Is
righteous one and we must enforce
it," exclaimed Premier Lloyd George III
his speech here. Germany, he said,
was morally bound to pay for tho
wanton damage she had inflicted
The Premier said in answer to DR..
Simons's complaint that Germany had
not received the Allies bill in full, thas
Germany could have the full bill at any
time, for it was ready. He said thas
much of DR.. Simons's Reichstag speech
had been based on a misconception Of
what was done at the Paris confer.
ence. If a full bill had been sent 10
Germany, according TO the Versailles
treaty, she would be compelled to &C,
cept it, but, Lloyd George said. al fail
to see how that would improve matters.
and very respectfully advise DR.. ST.
mons to take the Paris bill"
Warns Berlin Against Folly
The Premier said his advice was fot
Germany to accept the reparations biz,
once the German people got their
minds off the war and onto peace they
would soon become prosperous, the Pro-
mier predicted
France had been horribly ravished,
Lloyd George said, and had the right ID
say that she could not take the risk a
similar things occurring again. Hs
said the assumption of power by the
, provokers of the war could not be pait
mitted. The sword must be sheatac !
for all time, he said. Nothing wou; /
harden the Allied peoples against Geu.
many more, he added, than the feelin,
! that she was still animated by the idt7