Evening star., 1922-11-20
France FOR FIRM
AcT|0N|1|F:..1U|.|NPA|D [.
Paris Editor Says RhineIand
Will Be Seized if Brussels
ParIey Fails.
CANNOT WAIT ANY LONGER
Nation Has Paid SO Billion Francs
for Pensions and Restoration,
With Nothing From Germany.
BY sTEPHANE LAUzANNE,
Editor-in.C Chief OF lie Matin.

TAflS, november GU-lC Is 10 De most
sincerely hoped that the coming Brus-
sells conference will succeed. for 1t is
most certainly the last international at
tempt to which France will lend her
self for settling the question Of the
reparations amicably. In the event OF
its not meeting with success, France
would then take back her freedom Of
action and would inforce payment to
her by her own means.
France cannot wait any longer.
Up to November she has paid 96.-
COG; OOo. 600 francs. and on January ! she
tabout $1,000. .ooS 600 at the present rate
of exchange) for the pensions and for
the restoration of the devastated dis
tricts of the north of France. Accord
ing to the treaty of peace 1T Is Ger
Germany who should have paid the
1000, 000. 900, for tt is Germany who Is
the voluntary cause Of the war and 1t
is Germany who is the voluntary cause
of the devastations. But Germany has
paid nothing at all. !
Cannot Borrow Always.
France, therefore. has borrowed
these $1,000, 100000 from her own
people. but France cannot borrow
an interest of per cent on tho bor-
rowed money and half of the ex-
penses of the. budget has actually
| to meet the service of the debt. Tax
rate has increased by great bounds
since 1913.
Notwithstanding what may be
thought abroad. the fiscal effort.
since ten years, has been immense.
In 1918 the total of the taxes paid
by France was 5,000.000.0O0 francs;
say. that it has quadrupled. In or
der to be able to judge of this eff
fort it must be remembered that the
war has cost France 100000 lives.
! that France has at the present mo-
| ment 100000 disabled men. in
their capacity. and that the number
of healthy men between nineteen to
sixty years has decreased from TO-
602.0 in 1913 to 100000 in 1922.
From this fact the burden of the
taxes has considerably increased per
46O francs per head of inhabitant,
and in 1922 it is 2,47S francs.
Not a Cent Of Reparntions.
France considers that she cannot
do more. She notes that OF the T.
OO0.00o.000 gold marks actually paid
down by Germany In money or In
kind not a cent has been given to
termined, once for all, to put q stop
to the present state of things and
to act.
What will she do If the Brussels
conference fails?
She will certainly not mobilize an
army; she will not invade Germany;
she will perhaps not even enter the
Ruhr; but she will seize tho REQUIRES
! which she has at hand on the feft
bank of the Rhine. ---,-
Plans Ready for Occupation: -.
France has plans made for Rhine
land occupation.
At present the inhabitants of the
Rhineland continue to pay down their
taxes into the bottomless Golfer of
the Reich: why should they not pay
them to France? (When in 1874 the
Germans occupied forty-ave French
ments paid their taxes to Germany
At present the Rhineland railroads.
the forests OF the Rhineland, the
mines of the Rhineland are being. ex-
plotted by the state of Prussia; why
France?
1t has been figured that If France
were to collect the taxes in the
Rhineland; if she were to exploit the
railroads. the mines and the forests
collect 100000. 900 gold marks. which
is more than $500. 900. 900 Of the pres
ent French money. Now, net an
nual revenue of $250.000,o00 repre-
sents a capital of at-least $5,006,000.-
900. The revenues Of the left bank
of the Rhine would. therefore. allow
France to make loan OF 70,000.eO0.-
900 francs at the present rate of ex-
change. The two-thirds of the sums
which are at present being paid out
by France would then be reimbursed
and the annual interest of the French
debt would thus be lightened by two
thirds.
= France GsWishes to Live.s
1t is possible that such a calcula-
tion is rather optimistic. But even
if the figures were reduced by one
half it would still represent $2,000,-
100000 which France would receive.
Today, I repeat it, after three years Of
peace, OF negotiations, of discussions.
she has received nothing at all. A
Latin proverb says:
"Primum vivere, deinde philoso-
phere."
France wishes to live. If the Brus-
sells conference fails to give hef the
means of doing so. she will flnd them
without caring about the apprecia-
NJ nh -'