Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-03-09
S2OO,ODQ,O)O BILL
MAY NOT Be URGED
U. S. Charges Against Ger
many will Be Discussed by
Ministers in Paris.
BY WILLIAM E.. NASH.

Is, Cable to The Star and Chicago Daily News.
Copyright 1872
PARIS, March 9.-The granting or
refusal of moratorium to Germany
is probably contingent on the meet
ing between the finance ministers of
Great Britain, France, Italy and Bel
sium. which is now in progress here.
The problem will not be considered
by the ministers, but will be left TO
the reparations commission to decide
as part of the larger problem Of how
much can Germany pay In 1927
But before the thorny subject can
be broached in public at all the Brit
lsh cabinet insists, there are certain
other indemnity details which must
be cleared up. The present meeting.
therefore, may be considered as pre-
liminary to greater things.
U. 8. to Have Observer.
Roland w. Boyden will sit in" at
the conference as an unofficial OBJ
server for the United States. One
item scheduled for discussion inter-
ests the United States greatly, name
ly, the payment Of the costs Of the
allied armies of occupation in Ger
many. The United States has a bill
of $2G0,00O,000 against Germany for
the upkeep of the American troops
at CoblenZ. Although it has not yet
made claim for any such sum, new
ertheless under the treaty with Ber-
lin 1t has right to collect it, and
if the other allies receive reimburse
ment the United States has a right
to know about it.
On August 49,. 1921, it was agreed
in Paris to partition the first billion
mark indemnity installment between
Great Britain and Belgium to pay the
Rhineland military expenses up to
May II, 1921. France was to receive
nothing on the assumption that her
revenue from the Saar coal fields
made up more than just equivalent
The French parliament refused to
ratify this accord. Later, an agree
ment was concluded at Cannes Civ
ing Great Britain 100000, 900 marks,
France 140.000.000 marks. Italy 3O,-
100000 marks and Belgium the re-
mainder of the first annual INSTALL
ment. Probably this arrangement will
hold intact. although France and
Italy may propose amendments.
Furthermore. the finance ministers
Will discuss the distribution among
the allies of the German reparations
payments in 1922. No one knows how
large they will be because the repara-
tionS commission has not net fixed
definite figures. but that does not
prevent the allies from working up a
keen interest IN the matter.
Belgium has a priority claim. ac-
cording to the treaty of Versailles.
The cash receipts are likely to be
small. so the debate may be expected
TO center largely on the payments in
kind.
The British insist that the capital
value of the Sarre coal fields must be
charged up against the French snare
of the indemnity. The French IN
dignantly contest this. The British
seem to be afraid that the Wfesbaden
Loucheur and Walter Rathenau WILL
lead to camoufiaged priority and may
ask for further explanations on this
point.
Commission Gains Power.
1t appears that the reparations
problem remains within the COM
petence of the indemnity commission
That body seems to have grown
stronger in every respect and its pre-
negatives under the treaty Of Ver-
sailles have apparently been left IN
tact. The commission has just pub
lished summary of the indemnity
payments up to December 31,. 1921
The total reaches the respectable fig
ure of 11.40O.000.0O0 gold marks, dis
proving the old argument that Ger
many never could and n<ver would
pay ANYTHING at all. The expenses OF
the allies on Germany's account
amount to $500. 100000 gold marks
The balance, translated into dollars
s6sa. 100000. represents immovabie
wealth in the form of property be-
longing to the German state in terri
tories ceded under the treaty of Yer.
.sailles. The net balance, therefore
leaves nothing, or next to nothing, to
be divided as reparations.