Evening star., 1922-03-23
American Position on Cost
Of Rhine Occupation Army

charges established by article e4s
made below, be as follows: sT
"'(a) The cost Of the armies Of oc.
cupation as defined under article 249
during the armistice and Its exten.
.(b) The cost Of any armies of oc-
cupation as defined under article 24s
after the coming into force Of the
present treaty - =
by the treaty between the United
States and Germany. signed August
Is. 1921. the ratifcations of which
were exchanged on November II, 1921,
II is provided that the United states
advantages stipulated for the benefit
Of the United States in the treaty OF
Versailles, notwithstanding the> fact
that, the treaty has not been ratified
by the United States. =
Exclusion Only by Consent. =
1.-THE government Of the United
States entertains the view, and sub
mfts 1t to the consideration of the al
lied governments, that the United
States is entitled to payment of the
passu. with the allied governments.
and that payments received by them
from Germany in the circumstances
disclosed cannot be used to the ex-
clusion of the United States without
its consent. =. =
"The government. Of .<the United
States is unable to conclude that the
justice of its claim IL not fully recog-
nized. The governments Of the allied
powers will not be unmindful of the
fact that the government OF the
United States has repeatedly and
earnestly been solicited not to with
draw its army of occupation. and this
basis Of the right to be paid its ac-
tual cost upon an equal footing with
the allies. But, while 1t is believed
that the allied governments cannot
fail to appreciate the manifest equity
of the claim of the United States. it
Is understood that 1t has been sug-
gested that there are technical diff
culties which stand in the way of
its recognition. While willing to
take into full consideration every
possible question. this government Is
unable to find any such technical OBJ
stacle.
ut Is assumed that II any technical
question were raised, it would be
based upon the fact that the United
States has not ratified the treaty of
Versailles. 1t may be pointed out,
however. that Germany has explicitly
consented to the priority Of payment
Of the cost OF the American army of
that the treaty Of Versailles has nor
been ratified by the United States.
Hence. any technical objection to tho
application of the payments made b,
Germany to the discharge OF the just
claim Of the United States for the
the ground that the United States had
not ratified the treaty Of Versailles
would necessarily rest. not upon any
action or lack of action on the part
of Germany. but solely upon the re-
fusal Of the governments of the allied
powers themselves to permit the dis
charge Of. an admittedly equitable
claim and thus to seek to maintain
in their behe'j exclusively a first
charge upon 4 the assets and reve-
nues of the, German empire and Its
constituent states for demands ex-
hausting the full capacity Of the Ger
man government to pay. The gov
it impossible to conceive that any
such attitude would be taken by the
allied governments.
Denies Dependence on RatifyinY.
"The government of the United
States believes that its right to prior
ity of payment for Its actual Army
costs. upon an equal footing with the
allied powers. Is not in any way af-
fected by its failure to ratify the
treaty OF Versailles. The right Of
the United States to share in this
toned. and in view of the nature of
the claim and of the fact that the
treaty purported to create first
charge upon all the assets and reve-
nues of the German empire should
not be construed as being conditioned
upon the ratification of the treaty by
the United States. 1t may be noted
that the treaty was to come into force
on the ratification on the part of Ger
many and Of three Of the principal
allied and associated powers. By
article 251. quoted above, there is
the armies Of occupation during the
armistice and its extensions and the
cost of any armies of occupation
after the coming into force Of the
treaty. This would seem clearly to-
embrace the cost of the army of occu-
States.
"The government Of the United
States believes that its right to be
paid the actual cost Of its army of
occupation pari passu, with the cost
Of the armies Of the allied powers. is
not only a clearly equitable right, but
is free from any technical objection.
This government will welcome any
suggestion from the allied govern
ments for the reasonable adjustment
Of this matter. Upon receiving assur-
ances of payment this government
will be only too happy to proceed to
the consideration of suitable means
by which its Just claim may be satis-
fed. Pending such consideration and
adjustment, this government earn
estly hopes that the allied govern
ments will be disposed to refrain
from giving effect to any arrange
ments for the distribution of cash
payments received from Germany to
the exclusion Of the claim of the
United States"