The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-22
I RtNCH DEMANDS AGAINST GERMANY NUT LARGE, CLAIM
Paris Editor Sets Forth View of His People on
 Occupation


 Occupation
 Continuing his imaginary in- terview with an American in-
 aurer on the subject of the French position in regard to reparations and occupation of
 the Ruhr. "Pertinax." noted po-
 litical editor of the Echo De
 Paris, sets forth in The Age Herald the following section of his copyrighted dispatch why the French favored fixing the Ger man separations figure at 32, 0O0.000,000 gold marks.
 PARIS, March 2l.-"But don't you think that you French played into Germany's hands by fixing the amount of the rsparations total at gold marks? The German people were mortified at having to pay such q huge sum. They considered that il meant for most of them slavery of the most unbearable kind. slavery to the foreigner to his profit. Ccnse- quently you were deprived of the support you might have found in that portion of the German people which was being crushed by the process of financial inflation."
 When you speak of 132,oo0, ,00o, ,00o gold marks bear in mind this fact Under the schedule of payments. tf May. ls21.s the major part of that merely of Gsrmany's promise to pay an amount commensurate with her capacity after she had paid 50.000.- o00, 900. No rate of interest was pro- vided for the S2,o00 100000 and nc date was set for the maturing of the what is the actual cash value of a debt the terms If payment whereof are to be fixed only after a prior debt has been paid and after the lapse of an undetermined number of years. I have been told by persons in a position to know what the actual value of S2,000,000, 900 gold marks in the condition described would be at the very most 2o,0oo, 900, 900.
 Payment Too smnIi.
 Held that in the joint interest of France, America and England, all trading countries generally, 1t would be very dangerous to let Germany off with the final payment of 500o0,0o0,- ooo,
 Do you realize what the practical abolition of the German national debt and the rights of private creditors which existed in Germany as in every country of the world would amount tt through the annihilation of the mark? It would be tantamount to Germany being In position of vast superiority in the world markets since her industrial leaders, her traderA, her workers, would not be burdened by state and local taxes. by redemption of capital repayments to bondholders, holders of mortgages. etc After all, the 132,000, 100000 gold marks represent only little more than the state debts with which France. England and the United States are to be handicapped for long term of years.
 What France Ciaims.
 Let us pass now to the other side of the question. What does France claim? Is she demanding the pay ment of the sums she will have to expend in pensions and in advances to the devastated regions? No. She is merely asking for the money need ed for the reconstitution of those devastated regions. about twenty-six billion gold marks. But she must get that amount free from any counter-claim on the part Of the American and British governments. Otherwise, France herself would have to pay for the destruction of her provinces. Therefore, until there is a radical change in the British and American viewpoints regarding in- ter-allied debts and regarding Brit ish views on the percentage to be awarded to England. France had bet ter stick to the schedule of the pay ments of 1921"
 why did France not undertake to compel Germany to reform her fi- nances and her monetary system. preferably by means of economic pressure?"
 Other Plans Hopeiess.
 Tt would be hopeless. We sue ceeded. to a certain extent and for d limited time only, in disarming Ger many. Guns and rifles and muni- tlons are material things that can be seized. But money and credits run through very subtle, complicated channels. There is an immaterial element in them that cannot be traced or controlled. The undertak- ing would have implied our taking over the government of Germany. That is obviously out of our power We. therefore. decided to take over the government Of that part of Ger many lying close to our frontier where the maximum of results caH be accomplished in the minimum of territory. For that reason, we em- parked on the plan of the occupation of the Ruhr, the powerhouse of Ger many. As to the economic pressure to be brought to bear from the out side. it has become impracticable since Great Britain and America have long refused to cooperate. No nation can use the economic weapon single-handed."
 But do you expect to be able to manage successfully all the indus- tries of the Ruhr? Even if you sue ceeded in making the Germans work the narrow margin of profit with which the industries can function normally would disappear"
 We do not intend to interfere with the German economic manage. ment of the Ruhr area. We desire 1t to continue. We really desire un- occupied Germany to share, as she normally does, in the resources of the Ruhr. Butiwe claim that . cer- tain part of the Ruhr output must be set aside for the purpose of repa- rations, and we claim that Germany, in exchange for what she receives from the Ruhr. must observe the provisions of the Versailles treaty concerning reparattons. our natlonai security, etc. Germany is resisting in the Ruhr because she is resisting the application of the treaty. Through the economic blockade oi the Ruhr and the Rhineland now be- ing enforced. Germany will sooner or later, both inside the Ruhr and outside the Ruhr. have to yield and accept our terms"
 OBTAINS VERDICT
 PARIS, March c1.-The sculptor Bristol has obtained a v>rdict for $500 francs and an order for the res-