Evening star., 1922-02-26
When France Paid Reparations.

FRANKFORT. "A writer in the
Frankfurter Zeitung details Frances
difficulties in raising indemnities in
CURED by Napoleon's fall He says:
'If We recall the tremendous dim-
culties which France had to contend
with los years ago when she had TO
pay the reparations debts to Napo-
Icons conquerors, it reminds US OF
our present situation. In trying TO
understand Germany's present position
it would seem interesting to compare ii
with Frances position at that time
the more SO if We replace in the fol-
lowing historical study taken from
the memoirs Of Gabriel Julien Ouy-
rard, the word France by Germany
and compare the allies of that time
PRUSSIA, Austria, Russia and Eng
land) with the present allies. the holy
alliance with the league of nations.
Wellington with Foch, Metternich
with Lloyd George, Richelieu with
Rathenau.
According to the Paris peace treaty
of November, 1915. France had to pay
for three years the cost of an allied
army of occupation consisting Of $780,
900 men, which was reckoned at 160,-
o00. 900 francs a year, thus making a
total of 4,s00, 100000 francs. also a
war indemnity of 700,000,000 francs
i40 100000 francs each, and besides
that the cost of reparations, whicn
meant satisfying the demands of all
the communities and private individ-
uals in the countries where the wal
had taken place.
! "When the first wears payment wal
due France tried to obtain the neces-
sary money, but this was impossible
| in the financially impoverished coun'
try, and a royal order to collect q
forced loan OF 100,000,000 francs
! among the rich subjects was quite
forced measures against the will OF
| the stock exchange only ruined the
credit of the land.
! "Then Gabriel Julien Ouvrard ap'
peared on the scene and tried to hell
the government with his advice: He
| de Richelieu, the finance minister o,
Louis XVIII, and advised him to OBJ
! tain from the allied governments thu
permission to make the payments ir
| S per cent French state papers, In
stead Of in ready money. as had beer
| demanded. Barring BROS. HI LoHuoi
and Hope & Co. in Amsterdam, whit
| were both aware of Ouvrard's far
sighted intelligence and with whom
! he had, conferred previously, wers
| willing, with another English com
pany. to negotiate this loan with ths
allied powers at the rate of 10 pei
cent. The proposition, however. die
| not please the allies, who wanted t
! have ready money. Metternich alone
| supported Frances proposal.
| "The consequence was" continue:
the writer, that already, in 1915
| France could no longer carry out hel
| engagements, although Alexander
| Barring had helped with a loan o.
1,10O, 900 pounds sterling. There wal
/, then no other choice but to conside'
Ouvrard's plan. which had beer
| scorned. At that time nothing conit
! be decided among the allies withou
the consent Of wellington, the con
| querer Of Waterloo. Although, Ouv
| rnrd, as finance and Industrial mag
nate and former lieutenant in th'
French and Spanish armies, coult
scarcely be a very acceptable persoI
with Wellington. they relied on thu
practical and impartial mind of tn
! Englishman and were not disappoint
I ed. After q meeting with Ouvrart
Wellington realised that the proposed
big credit operation was the onl!
means to get out of the present dt
tlemme Through his influence thu
fother allies were also coon of thu
same opinion. They consented to &C
cept the first indemnify installmen
1 of lao. 100000 francs and the 10000,