Evening star., 1921-12-13
TALK Of FORCING
GERMANPAYMENT
French People Feel Will to
Meet Obligation Is Only
Element Lacking.
REVIEW VARIOUS DELAYS
Suggestion Made That Securities
Gathered by Finadsiers May
Figure in Settlement.
Dx ANDkA6 EhIGDl6US
Former French High Commissionef to

ox ANDAG 1AnO1nOS
Former French High Commissioners to
America.
By Cable to The Star.
PARIS. December i3.-French in
terest has swung away from Wash
ington for the time being and is
centered once more in the efforts
Germany is making to get out OF
her financial engagements.
AS I have said before In :reparation
pay comes before the capacity to pay.
II Germany wished to pay In gold.
she could. II she refuses nothing
remains but to force her by q means
which will not be difficult to dis
cover.
Louis Locheur, minister Of recon-
struction. by his negotiations with
Germany at Weisbaden - setting
thereby a dangerous precedent Of
separate negotiations with Ger
many--has, unfortunately. helped to
create an opinion that only payment
for Germany. This has been fostered
by newspaper comments
The treaty of Versailles anticipated
that payments in kind also would
be necessary. but the treaty arranged
more equitable bases s,th than n the .ins ne-
French prices a basis, virtually
grants Germany still another debt
reduction.
"should Precede Moratorium"
But cash payments are equally pos
sible IL there is q sincere desire 70
pay. This principle should be fol!owed
before there is any more talk OF
France, which In the past two years
has abandoned so many rights guar
anteed by the treaty condemns her
self to a still darker future II she
consents to enter the road toward
which certain English journals would
push her. We ask only .aus.snHn, our due, ana no
the spirit Of equity and justice OF
those who have been our comrades
on the field of battle.
Germany agreed, in 1919. to pay for
property and personal damage SUI
fered by the lands and the victims OF
her aggression. At London, in May
Of 1921, after eighteen months de-
bate. the principle OF a partial in
stead of integral reparation was ac-
cepted. The total German debt was
fixed at 1872 milliards Of gold marks
The total damage in France was
fixed at 1876 milliards of gold marks
The London agreement accordee I;
France sixty-eight milliards. This
sacrifice was supported by the argu.
ment that the debt was thus made
payable and that the system of the
reparations commission absolutely as.
sured the regularity of these pay
ments.
But this second installment has moi
been met before it Is rumored that
Germany asks delay. AS I write, the
official demand has not been formu-
lated, but dispatches from London and
Berlin indicate it will be made soon
To appreciate the emotions of the
French people. it might be well tc
remember that the reparations and
pensions total almost eighty mil
lizard francs. .n
1t is perfectly true that the Yer.
sailles treaty envisaged the posi-.
hility of delays, but it was precisely
this which stipulated the payment OF
twenty milliards before May, 1921
There is also a provision for a reduc-
ton of the annual installments in the
two or three years following, thus
safeguarding all interests.
Last Mays Decision.
The accord of last May exempted
Germany from paying a twelve mil.
cused this concession by claiming tina,
thereby the danger of a moratorium
was thenceforth obviated. The French
public is rather astounded that al
though last Mays milliards are still
unpaid. Germany once more talks of a
moratorium.
That is not all. There is a general
attempt to establish the dogma that
Germany is unable to pay in gold. 1,
is forgotten that German financiers
and industrial leaders gathered in
the last two years many milltards OF
foreign securities. and if the gov.
ernment wished it could use these Sc.
curities to pay its debts. Plans fol
transferring these securities to tht
state have even been studied, but to.
day are no longer discussed.
1t is much simpler. from the Ger.
man point of view. merely to declare
that Germany cannot pay
We shall see.
Copyright, 1871