The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-05-03
WHAT FRANCE REALLY WANTS.

WHAT FRANCE REALLY WANTS.
An agreement between France ant
Germany. regarding the war claims
against Germany seems to hang to
considerable extent upon the matter
of Frances creditors cancelling hel
Indebtedness to them. The Paris cor
respondent Of the London Times re-
ports having learned that France is
now willing to agree to a reduction
of Germany's war debt to somewhere
between 40 and SO billion marks. pro-
yfded in the settlement of the inter-
allied debts all of Frances indebted
ness is extinguished." 1t is asserted
further that unless France can gain
this concession from her creditors,
she will stand pat in her demand for
the 1872 billion gold marks, at which
the German indemnity figure now
stands.
France owes Great Britain and the
United States about 20 billion gold
marks, and figures that the cancella-
ton OF this Indebtedness, coupled with
what she. would get from Germany,
would be about right.
In this connection the Lewiston .Tri-
bune says editorially
"To sAy, therefore, that the indem-
nifty problems Isl as much a conten-
ton, though indirectly so, between
France and its associates in the late
war as it is between France and Ger
many may sound paradoxical, but it
is true The difference between
France and Germany, according to
their respective statements, is not SO
great asi to preclude an agreement.
But whei France indicates willing
ness to ,be content with total so
nearly in, accord with that which Ger
many has given reason to believe it
is ready TO accept. it is only on con-
dition that its own debts to England |
and America shall be cancelled out
right.
ct is in Washington and London
that the crux of the problem is to be
found. Decisions can be reached in
those two capitals which will make i
SO much of the question as relates to
Paris and Berlin easily solvable.
There has lately been a revival of
Secretary of State Hughes proposal
to have the amount to be exacted of
Germany fixed by an international
commission There is little. doubt
that Mr.. Hughes can win a prompt
acceptance Of that proposal in Paris
whenever he shall be prepared to
append the question of interallied
debts to that of PREPARATIONS.
"a pa N
Colfax is having considerable
trouble over the Whitman county traf- :
fic officer, J. A. Williams. Williams
evidently takes the attitude that he
is employed to enforce the law, and
he has been picking 'em off by the
dozens on the Inland Empire high
way. The Washington Automobile as
ISOLATION has taken the matter up,
and has issued a warning to tourists
to scratch Colfax off their itinerary
A mass meeting of Colfax citizens has
3een called to investigate the matter
Stretches of the highway offer con-
siderable inducement to the driver
Who likes to speed, and the arrests,
,cpocio11v IF CnoLono nooD1o hovo Ii
,een numerous. There seems to be "
lemand that the traffic cop use !,
judgment instead of following the
etter of the law. We doubt if Will
Jams would take any advantage of
lis position, and it would seem that >.
here are just three things which
hight be done-enforce the speed law
S it stands, change the law to- suit
he driver who wants to go faster
han 80 miles an hour, or fire the
fficer and open the throttle. 1t is
vident that few fellows of promin-
nee who havea-been "pinched re-
snt it exceedingly, and are trying
} have the cop fired 1t is doubtful
Colfax need worry much over the OF
after. Most people won't detour an
cry far for the privilege of breaking :,
lie speed laws -
"a "a pa
Moscow people should lend their
pport to the movement inaugurated
the Ladies' Cemetery society to
prove and beauty the Moscow
metery. The cemetery has grown,
cemeteries have persistent way n
doing, but the improvements have
en- very limited, for number Of
ars.. 1t is Just az desirable that 2
have beautiful cemetery
that it have beautiful park, or