New-York tribune., 1922-03-12
Finance Ministers Refer
$241, 100000 Claim to
Separate Countries; As
serting No Power to Act
American Demand
Wholly Unexpected
French Crieved at Appear
ance of Bill Collector.
but Admit Money Is Due
BY Wilbur Forrest
Special Cable TO The Tribune


Copyright, l022. New York ,rrihune Inc
i fAkiS, March 1.-THE Allied finance
ministers meeting here to-day referred
'he American claim for s241 900 900 for
maintaining the United States Rhine
army to the Allied governments with
out taking any definite stand either for
or against payment. The bomb that
Roland w. Boyden, American observer,
cast into the meeting when he pre-
sentcd the Washington governments IS
demand for payment failed to explode.
The finance ministers simply tucked
the Boyden note in their pockets and
went ahead with their task Of dividing
among the Allies the first 900 ,OO0, 900
gold marks paid by Germany. 1t was
agreed that Great Britain should re-
ceive 50o,000,0O0 marks and France
14o,o00,o00 to cover the costs of Anglo
French occupation of the Rhine; Italy
about 3o,0O0,0OO and Belgium the bal
lance.
The American demand, the ministers
decided, was matter that ought to be
decided through diplomatic channels
in London, Paris and Washington. The
action in referring it to the Allied gov
ernments, the Tribune correspondent
understands, was based on two prem
ises-irst, the American note was un-
expected, coming, as it did, at the con-
clusion of more than twenty months of
negotiations among the Allies, when a
decision already had been reached,
% rfo ~
American claim had to be satisfied be-
fore German payments on the war bill
were distributed among the Allies.
Germany Not Paying in Cash
The finance ministers argued among
themselves that the United States was
interested only in cash and that Ger
many had not yet paid enough in cash
to satisfy the costs of Allied occupation
of the Rhine and other expenses Most
of the 6,5000O0, 900 gold marks paid by
Germany Is in goods or property on
which nothing can be realized for a
considerable time AS the bulk of Ger
many's 1922 payments are expected to
be made in goods, the ministers decid-
ed that France should have 65 per cent
of these payments and the other Allies
the rest.
This ruling indicated that if Germany
! paid enough cash this year TO meet the
American claim, the Allies might assent
to the discharge of the obligation, but
in we'll informed quarters here it is be-
lieved that "diplomatic" negotiations
may find other means of settling the
American bill. The memorandum SUBJ
mitted by Boyden did not stipulate that
the entire amount should be paid i'm
mediately, but only requested that
about $62,500,00O be paid in 1922
The official explanation of why no
action was taken on the American
claim is that it raises q new question
of Interpretation of the Treaty of Yer
sailes, of which the United States is not
signe1. Therefore, it is held that the
American bill can only be referred to
! the Allied governments who did sign
and who are collecting Germany's pay
ments.
In signing the agreement that ended
their conference tonight the finance
ministers appended a postscript, at the
request of Mr.. Boyden, which said that
American rights on the division were
reserved. The ministers admitted to
the American observer that they didn't
know what these rights were, and 1t
was necessary to submit copies of the
agreement to the respective Allied cap
itals and let the governments decide.
A formal copy of the document will be
sent to Washington within the next
few days.
Further Demands Predicted
In settling up the reparations &C.
count for the present the ministers
provided for the continuation of the
WiesbaAen agreement between France
and Germany for three more years,
with the understanding that the total
goods received under it the first year
shall not exceed 350,000,00O gold marks
or 750,00O,000 in the two succeeding
years. The other Allied powers were
authorized to negotiate similar agree
ments with Germany.
Frances demand that the value of
the Saar mines, fixed at 300,000,000 gold
marks, be funded in fifteen-year bonds
Continued on next pase)
HarI;vu En;ovs CrusSe