Evening star., 1923-11-10
Failure of the Reparations Move.

French reservations have prevented
participation by the United States in
an economic survey of the reparations
question, and the effort to bring about
an international inquiry looking to a
settlement Of this vexing and danger
involving problem on the basis Of an
expert determination of the capacity
Of Germany to pay her obligations Is
ended. 1t does not follow, of course,
that the whole project is closed. 1t
may be revived. But for the present
il would seem that the French stipula.
lions, which were not modified despite
direct conversations" between Wash
ington and Paris, act as barrier
against an all-allied research.
Two points in the French stipula-
tons serve TO bar this government
from participation. One was that the
inquiry should not touch upon the
legal and political aspects of the Ruhr
occupation, the manner in which
+ France collected and imposed taxes
there, the guarantees seized or the
agreements with German industrials
in that region. The other was that
the inquiry into Germany's capacity
to pay must not SO beyond the year
1880. Poincare was willing that the ey-
perts should investigate the economic
and Industrial condition of the Ruhr
with relation to the value Of estab-
lisiments and their productive power.
He was willing also that the inquiry
f should go to the point OF determining
Germany's present capacity to pay
within 4 seven-year limit.
1t is plain that France has held out
in these stipulations, first against any
accounting, political or otherwise, OF
the Ruhr occupation, and second
against any protraction of the period
IF reparation payments. 1t is equally
plain that the considerations upon
which these stipulations were based
We're OF d domestic political character
I That is to say, Poincare is unwilling
doubtless unable politically. to make
II any concessions either on the score of
: the propriety OF the Ruhr occupation
or that of the requirement that Ger
many pay promptly.
As the case now stands the United
States has made tender Of it's good Of
fees through expert Representatives to
adjust the reparations question, az
participant in an, international survey
Those good offices have been accepted
in principle, but rejected in effect
,, through the conditions imposed. This
leaves the matter Of reparations pre-
cisely where it was before Lord Curzon
wrote to Secretary Hughes suggesting
/. Z move by the United States. That is,
it is back at the starting point.
Intimation has been advanced that
Great Britain may now propose, and
- possibly promote, an international in
!. uuiry which does not include France.
This is not likely to be pressed. The
United States certainly could not enter
such a survey. France would sharply
resent it. The effect would be a dis
solution of the alliance, which Great
/, Britain has ample reason to avoid.
=. Meanwhile, France and Belgium are
; In the Ruhr, and will doubtless stay
until the situation has been brought
to the point of yielding payments from
Germany. There is no prospect what
ever of a breakup of the Franco
Belgian understanding.
The most important result of the
episode is that the United States has
demonstrated its willingness to take
part in an effort to resolve the situa-
ton. 1t has shown its good faith and
concern for the welfare of Europe.