Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-05-14
c,r,on Note Says German
government Must Have
Known Before Preparations
offer Was Made That Terms
,Would Be Unacceptable
Guarantees Also Are Too
yaque-Suggests New Of
for Of Amount That Can Be
Considered BY Allies

london May IS By A. P)-The
49,, NJ the British governments note
;, Germany in reply to Germany's
.,,on. reparatons offer was made
,rh,ic today. 1t is signed by Lord
/ r,r,on Secretary for Foreign At
fairs and says:
4His Majesty's government have
\ ,;ven careful attention to the men,
orandum of your eXcellency, COM
nuricated to me May .. in which
tho German government put for
r,rd proposals for settlement of
\ eparations.
"This action on their part is we'll
\ Known to have been sequel to the
suggestion l made in debate in the
British parliament April 20. and His
Il Naiesty's government therefore have
special interest in the response re-
h turned to that appeal.
\ II cannot conceal from your ex-
cellency that the proposals of your
\ government come as a great dis
sppointment, and that the unfavor-
able impression they made on His
/ Majesty's government, as we'll as on
their allies, is one which, in my opin-
\ icn the German government might.
,r1$ To
4 therefore guarded against.
"The proposals are far from cor
responding, either in form or in
substance, to what His Majesty's
government might reasonably have
expected would be made in answer
to the advice l on more than one oc-
4 asion yentured to convey to the
German government through your
] eNellency and to the more direct
indication to them in the speech re-
| ferred to.
THE main grounds for this legiti-
/ mate disappointment are the follow
h Ing:
First. The German government
offer in total payment of their &C
/ knOwledged debt sum which, fall
Il ing far below the moderate amount
forming the basis of the British
scheme submitted to the Paris con-
h ference in January last, must have
been known in advance to be alto
gether unacceptable to the Allied
| governments. Furthermore pay
! ment of even this Inadequate sum is
made dependent on n series of inter-
national loans. the success of which
|, n tha 60 l1
largely speculative. So much so
that scheme proposed by the Ger
man government actually provisions
dealing with the contingency of the
loans not matcrializing. Moreover
me arrangements proposed under
this head involve financial condi-
IONS less burdensomc to Germany
man If the loans We're to be success
iul so no real incentive thereby is
held out for her to attempt to raise
them
Second. Tho failure of the German
reply to indicate with greater precision
We nature of the guarantees they are
disposed TO offer is more particularly
be regretted. The allied govern
@eh's, instead Of receiving concrete
anu SUBSTANTIAL proposals in this re-
aec' are confronted with vague asSur-
snces and references to future nego-
ua'ons which in a business transact
uun Oh this kind are lacking in prac-
teal value.
me disappointment is enhanced by
Me oellef. which His Majcsty's govern
aenl would like to entertain. that in
uIVa'ons are to be found in the Ger
man memorandum that the German
s"ernment recognize the report by
resting on them to making an earnest
sAVrl TO discharge their obligations
sauer me Versailles treaty in a man.
aet which the Allies could regard as
".n equitable and sincere.
Germany did intend to open the
"a! 70 an cffectual and speedy solu
wi nOh OF the problem, the failure to set
~ winch is grayely disturbing the
rrsllcal and economic condition of
u.iope and. indeed. the whole world.
ss .n II seems unfortunate that she
s;. yulu not have shown kcener appre-
aNoh OF the lines on which alone
an, any such settlement be sought.
ms Majestys government are per-
,uaueu that in her own interest Ger
Ma.s VIII see the advantage of dis
Mms greater readiness to Crap
Ss. WIN the realities of the case, and.
rs,sahlglng an irrelevant or contro-
sds s.ai issues. will proceed to recon-
na VT expand their proposals in such
M. as to convert them into a feas-
oasls for further discussion.
,or. n such a discussion His Majesty's
hulheht will, at suitable moment,
h, ' sy to take part by the side of
p,so snes' with whom they share .
rb;,a interest in this question.
DIM hey have no intention to aban-
s.' az Well as desire to terminate
spu .s Of international peril.
cs,m wv they cannot conceal from the
;orw.aan government that the first step
bona .u 70 realization of any such
as, must be recognition by Germany
ana contribution much more serious
any, ma more precise is required than
"nich has Yet been Forthcoming"