The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-12-16
LONDON
CONFERENCE
A FAILURE

i Il i OlIl1Vd - VI AlIOS4AO>
/ p o w e.r S So Far
Apart on Repara-
! ton Question That
Agreement Seems
| Impossible
London. Dec. 70 fBy the Asso-
ciated Press) The collapse OF the
allied premiers negotiations here. it
/ is becoming evident, was even
more complete than at first sup
! posed, since the one outstanding
development, which had been seiz-
ed upon by the optinlists. namely
1.-THE scrapping Of the Balfour note
'tby Great Britain, is now said to
have been acclaimed premature
1 ~.
Prime Minister Bonar Law ad-
nitted as much in the house of
! commons this afternoon, and from
other sources it is learned that
the haste on the part OF the con-
tinental press to consider Lord Bal
four's utterance as a thing of the
past is unNarranted.
/ It is stated that, Mr.. Bonar Law.
in talking with the other allied
| premiers, only indicated that Lord
}Balfour's principle (refusal to con-
/. slider any remission of the war
debts) could be superseded as
Great BritaM's contribution to. a
general European settlement of
the. war debts and reparations
questions, but, with definite gain
| for Britain in view and not
| merely because she wished to be
generous. - - - =; E ~ :.
The British policy is. said to be
centered on, reesta ablishment of
trade and commerce, stabilization
}of exchanges. atdss bringing. to an
lend the, almost continuous allied
conferences and disputes over rep
iarations and war debts
| The pessimists believe such
bilizatfon of Europe's economic
life would not be. realized through
| Britain's cancellation of the debts
due her if at the same time the
French were: permitted to carry
out ceerciyes measures to. obtain
their indemnity from Germany.
Aecording TO the official view.
the British are willing to make
great sacrifices. but the other al
Hes. must also. sacrifice some OF
their interests
Unless: Great Britain sees an ul-
innate gain through the policy. of
cancellation, it is stated. the gov
ernment could not carry out such
a program, for the British taxpay-
Eers would 4ebel at having to shoul-
der. the debts without benefit.
Berlin, Dec IL .(By the Asso-
ciated Press). Official German
quarters were disinclined today to
discuss the failure .sof the allied
premiers to arrive at a decision on
| the reparations question, as au-
thentic information regarding the
nature of their deliberations was
lacking here.
! The German press views the
postponement as a. discouraging
symptom, but it is not generally
regarded as a misfortune for Ger
many, inasmuch as it is believed
the present denouement may act
las an effective deterrent to. Premier
Poineares plans for the occupa-
ton of the Ruhr.
Washington, Dec. IL tBy the AS
sociated Press). - The United
States has not been approached,
directly or indirectly. in regard
either to cancellation of the
French war debt or American par
ticipation with allied premiers in
the discussion Of German. repara-
tons. according to an officially au-
thorized statement today at the
! state department.
Outside .Tof this statement. no
comment was forthcoming in Off
cial quarters on press advices from
London telling of the British in
tention to- sound out the Washing
ton government with relation to
/ French debt cancellation as pos
sible means for solving the con-
lf1ict of views among the premfers
which caused postponement Of the
council meeting over the year end.
Earlier in the day the state
| ment was authorized at the White
/! House that the reparations tangle
was viewed by the Washington
government as "one of the most
tacute European difficulties 1t was
added that the Washington admin
fistration had not lacked an inti-
mate picture of the situation
abroad nor been unconcerned or
active with relation to problems
pressing for solution in the inter-
est of world stability. 1t was not
indicated, however, that the ac-
tivities referred to bore directly
or indirectly upon the immediate
situation in London.
Pending some further light as to
the exact nature of proposals said
to be coming to Washington from
London IN regard to cancellation
of the French debt to Great Brit
ain and the United States the most
official expression Of American
views in that regard indicated that