The Washington herald., 1922-01-13

In the efhcacy Of force In collecting
Germah reparations as fixed in the
Versailles treaty-and down to the
last France was opposed TO eco
nomic adjustment. In a word, In
sofar as reparations Is concerned,
they set up--to the minds OF Brit
ish and American authorities-the
same vicious circle about which the
reparation experts charged for
months during the. Versailles nego-
tiations. ~
Payment De,nasaed.
This circle starts with the de-
mand that Germany pay the repara-
tions bill as submitted. The an
swer to this. from the American
and British viewpoint, 10 that only
an industria1ly and commercially
strong Germany can earn the
money to pay the bill. French OBJ
lection is then raised. to concern
over Germany, and to permitting
Germany to regain her economic
feet. The answer then Is that Ger
many cannot pay and the repara-
Ftions bill will have to be amended.
. VIII not consent. ana
maintains her troops on the Rhine
to exact the payment. The net re-
suit of an endless series of con-
ferences on this question has been
nothing.
In a recent article written for
the United News. Poincare clearly
limited that he felt France might
be justified in definite occupation of
the Rhine until the German repara-
tions are paid. He maintained that
former President Wilson and Pre-
mier Lloyd George offered France
the Anglo-American-F ALL
ance voluntarily. after both Wilson
and Lloyd George had refused to
countenance occupation OF the
Rhine. This treaty, Poincare point
ed out. was never ratified, 80 that
France is on the same. basis of ip-
security as when 1t was proposed.
Program Harsh to Germsny.
The French program under Poin-
care. IL his oft repeated policies
prevail. will be a harsh one for
Germany. A high American official
in Washington recently expressed
to the writer the opinion that the
overthrow of BRAND might render
the economic restoration OF Europe
even more difficult and lead to Sc
rious complications. American and
British authorities feel that the
Wirth government in Berlin Is
probably the best and most liberal
in sight in Germany. Lloyd George
has long been preaching a doctrine
of moderation in collection OF repa-
rations in order to keep this gov
ernment in power and get Central
Europe on q sound industrial and
economic basis. The fear In Lon
don. Washington and Rome, conse-
ouently Is that an unyielding
French program may push the
present German government to its
fall
As to Russia, thousands of
French peasants as well as the
banking interests invested heavily
in Russian bonds before the fall OF
the Gar. As consequence the
French have encouraged any fac
ton in Russia that would guaran-
tee recognition of these bonds on
a chance of overthrowing the Boil
sheviki To date every anti-Boi-
shevik movement has failed, and
France has become correspondingly
more deeply involved In Russia
The Poincare faction will not coun-
tenance dealing with the presen,
Russian regime until assurance is
given that the bonds of the Cars
government will be honored.
At the same time. while refusing
to deal with the Bolsheviki experts
on these terms. the French fear
that Hugo SHINES. the commercial
and financial wizard of Germany,
may be able to make business al
liances in Russia before French in
terests are able to touch the field,
and thus make a new and stronger
industrial Germany Inevitable.