The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-19
French And English PremierS
 Will Hold Conference Upon
 BaIdWin'S Return Rrom Va
 cation At Y Les BaineS P0lNCARE' NOTE TO BE GIVEN ENGLAND MONDAY Paris Indicates There Will Be
 No Lessening Of Pressure Upon Ruhr-Stern Measures Taken To Prevent Sabotage
Fly CARL VICTOR LITTLE Lcased Wire to The ARe-HeraIdl


 PARIS, August 1S.-A final effort to avert an open rupture In Franco British relations was considered probable here tonight. following semi-official announcement of a new conference between Premier Poincare and Prime Minister Baldwin of Great Britain, to discuss the attitudes of the movements towards the problems of reparations and occupation of the Ruhr
 According to this information, tho conference will be held when Bald win returns from his vacation in Ak les Bains
 Meantime speculation was rife re- garding the text of Poincare's reply to the British reparations note, which was to be delivered in Lon don probably Monday by Ambassa- dor St. Aulaire.
 It was understood Poincare refuses to change the arrangement of May, 1921 for distribution and collection of reparations, although he agrees to cancel a part of the German debt to his country if an equivalent amount of the French inter allied debt is cancelled.
 Confirms French Demand.
 The reply confirms the French de- mand for a minimum of 26,000,000, 900 gold marks as the French share of reparations from Germany, which would leave the total German debt at about 50,000,O00,000 gold marks, even after the compensation for cancelled inter-allied debts is deducted.
 Poincare will cling fast to the French thesis that occupation of the Ruhr is fully justified by the treaty of Versailles and subsequent agree ments and that France will evacuate the occupied territory only as sne receives payments from Germany.
 Meantime there was every lndlea- tlon that there will he no lessening of French pressure in the occupied
 In Dusseldorf General De Goutte, the French commander, issued statement today announcing his de- cision to use the most drastic meas ures against saboteurs
 Heavy Prison Sentences.
 French courts were authorized to sentence persons found guilty of sabotage in any of the Ruhr fac- tories doing work in connection WiIn reparations deliveries to maximum of 20 years in prison with fines of 500.000 gold marks.
 Many observers saw in the day s developments an indication that the IrenCh premier IS " lAAAA6 ~ A final effort to prevent complete rupture in the Franco British en- tente, holding at least senblance of a united front toward Germany.
 Persons close to the premier, how ever. had little hope that any new conference would meet with success. They pointed to the record of the many past conferences and eonVer- sations between British and French leaders, and saw in the universal failure to harmonize the Anglo French viewpoints proof that the essential interests of the two coun- tries are such that united action to- .,ssard Germany is virtually impos- sible.
 Text Of Reply.
 Advance information on the text of Poincare's reply to the British reparations note indicated the pes pes simists might be correct in thelr forecasts. .. well informed in government mat ters. in an article in the Petlt Fa- risien today, declared the Franco British viewpoints were irreconcll- able and said France refuses even to discuss Britain's doubts as to the legality of the French occupation Of the Ruhr. s the Ruhr prior to the entire pay ment of reparations, which France and Belgium refuse" Millet con
 "Enrland wants a fresh adjUdica- +ion of Germany's capacity to pay but France and Belgium refuse to revise the arrangement Of May 1921"