The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-08-09
ReparatiOns

While the United States government
has limited it's activities in the repara-
tions embroglio to an official observer,
and, since the Versailles Treaty has
watched the problem as it became more
intricate day by day, there has been
little group of Americans here for
the past four yeats who have taken
anything but minor part in the vast
work of the reparation commission.
! This unheralded little group consti-
tutes the staff of accountants with the
commission, and is headed by George
P. Auld, formerly an officer of the
United States navy, who holds the post
of Accountant General. He is respon-
sible directly to the commission for
| the completeness and accuracy of all
| financial records having to do with the
receipt and disbursement of money and
commodities handed over by Germany.
The position of Mr.. Auld with the
commission is entirely individual, as
| he has no connection with the United
States or any other government. His
staff of about 20 Americans comes
Under the same classification.
| The task of the accountancy depart
ment is one of the most difficult of the
commissions work. To strike its daily
and monthly balances, it must deal
with ships, livestock, abandoned war
material, rolling-stock, coal and coax,
| dyestuffs, and a score of other COM
modities, as well as the actual cash
payments of German gold marks,
When the balance sheet has been tai
tlied, it is necessary to render the totals
| in marks, pounds, francs, Tires and dol
lars. The commodity valuations have
been made in nearly all the currencies
of Europe, as well as in dollars.
When currency payments are made,
they are Immediately converted to gold
through the dollar rate, with roughly
four marks equalling one dollar. The
accountancy department receives the
/ New York exchange rate for 20 or 20
countries by cable each day, and with
these rates as a basis, daily, weekly
and monthly PARTIES between the vari-
Gus currencies are established. At the
end of each month a complete report
is made, showing the amount Germany
has paid to date and how it has been
distributed among the Allies.
| Much of this work is done by the
American staff. One computes the
value of coal from the RuhP; another
determines the worth of livestock in
| francs, dollars and pounds; another re-
duces locomotives to marks and then
to Tires, while another one quotes
ducks, geese and chickens in dollars,
guilders and crowns.
| At the end of 1922, the accountancy
/ Il A,.1J haI urL,i -
| ped the miles of figures into an intel
! ligible report, showing that Germany
had turned over to the Allies Ggand
total of s1,982,000,000. Of this sum
S454 900 900 was in cash; $8S9,0o0, 900
in commodities, and $3.50, 100000 in
state properties of coded territories.
The ships she had parted with total
led two and half million gross tons,
valued at SIT, 100000. Of rolling-stock
she had delivered 1852 locomotives and
$4,000 wagons, worth S207 100000.
The livestock included $4,000 head,
exclusive of poultry, This was given
a valuation of $40,O00,000. The coal,
coke and Ignite delivered exceeded 48
million tons, worth $237,000,000, the
dyestuffs totalled $4,000 tons, valued at
sic, 000,0 900, and the miscellaneous com
m odities, too numerous to classify were
determined to be worth S134 100000.
The selection of Mr.. Aud to head
the important accountancy bureau Of
the reparations commission was made
after he had spent several months in
Paris as assistant financial advisor to
the Peace Commission, Although only
AZ years of age, he had served num-
Der of years in the United States navy
and was given the task of organizing
the cost and financial control main
tanned by the navy department in about
100 large industrial plants doing work
for the government before the Armis
tice. When asked to take post witch
the reparations commission, he re-
signed from the navy to accept.
The inter-allied accountancy organi-
cation now has bureaus in Berlin, Es
sen. Weisbaden. Budapest and Upper