The Washington times., 1923-03-11
GERMAN OFFER
! Of INDEMNITY
ROUSES BRIT |SH
Foreign Office Amazed at Re-
r port-France AssaiIed for
Refusal to Consider Proposal
POlNCARE IN KAISER ROLE
Premier, Drunk With Power,
Yields 1t for World Ruin, Is
View of English Editors
Bx universal eervlce.

BY Universal Service.
LONDON, March 1O.-The an
|nouncement that Germany offer
ed approximately $500, 200, 900
to France as the final sum it
would be able to pay in repara-
tions, amazed the British foreign
office, which denied that any in
formation regarding Germany's
offer had been communicated to
Great Britain by France.
SEES FRENCH VIEW.
A high official said tonight:
1T is understandable why France
refused that amount, which is far
less than the sum offered last
May" but he admitted that Great
Britain would be glad il Poincare
had used the offer as a stepping
stone to negotiations leading TO
peace.
Publicists who have learned Of
the offer made and peremtorily
turned out without discussion by
France, are agreed that Frances
with her rule or ruin policy in the
Ruhr.
Sir Charles Higham said:
France certainly should have given
consideration to the German offer
IL 1t was sincerely submitted. While
it is a. difficult problem to discuss
without official figures before me,
/ am sure that IL Premier Poin.
care had consented to reopen nego-
tiations on the basis Of the latest
German proposal, II would have
been the entering wedge that would
have brought back peace to che
war-ridden continent. / do not
think the present intolerable situa
ton in the Ruhr can last, as 1t is
ruinous to the whole world.
SCORES FRENCH POLICY.
Norman Angel said:
at could only be expected that
Premier Poincaire would decline
Germany's offer to France. He does
not want Germany to pay its in
demnity. He does not want Ger
many to get into a position to pay
it's indemnity. Frances invasion
of the Ruhr does not mean a debt
collecting move, but is an action
to cripple Germany financially and
economically.
'It is ridiculous to talk abstract
ly of the amounts that Germany
can pay, or what can be collected
from Germany. Before this can be
done Germany must have an oppor-
tunity Of restoring its foreign trade
and credit. Then only can the
amount be gagged But all well-in-
formed people in Europe know that
France does not want a re-estab-
lishment Of Germany's trade or
credit"
ATTACKS FRANCE.
J, L. Carver, editor OF The OBJ
server, under the head From Folly
to Madness" makes a slashing at
tack on France whom he accuses of
filling the former Kaiser's old role
Of the bully OF Europe. He says:
'"The Ruhr policy and its implica-
tons overshadow all other issues.
Even few who deplore and abhor 1t
seem alive to its full meaning. We
confess our amaZement at the
lethargy Of the unlocking nations
on both sides Of the Atlantic.
Great towns like Mannheim
have been seized by France, who is
using the results of the common
victory for her own purpose. In
flat violation Of the treaty of Yer
sailles she is actively organizing
black levies as an indispensable part
of her military policy.
FRANCE DISREGARDS ALLIES.
"Poincare is doing it because, like
the Hohenzollerns in their day, he
yields the armed power to do so.
Britain and America have been dis
regarded. France doffs the cap of
liberty and wears the picklehaube..
1.-THE Versailles treaty has beeen
dealt with like a scrap Of paper by
Belgium despite the memories of
her scrap of paper by adhering to
France.
Britain has been told that she
will not be called into negotiations
No mention is made of America,
whose services made Frances vic.
tory possible. The days when Per.
shings doughboys took St. Mihiel
have been forgotten.
Just as surely as the great war
came, another war will come If
France persists in demanding the i'm.
possible. Her Ruhr policy will lead
to monstrous results and the dan.
gers to peace and security will in
evitably become worse than before
1914.
OTHERS MUST ARM.
IF France does not disarm other
nations will have to rearm. What
is impossible is that the British EN-.
pire, after the vast part it took in
the war, can be made a cipher by
France"
Gordon Selfridge said:
Everyone would be delighted to
see the PREPARATIONS question adjust
ed But as a private citizen | must
not assume to condemn Frances ac-
ton. We are uniformed on all the
inside happenings and cannot say
what ought and what ought not to be
done. l hope, however, that Ger.
many, who is responsible for the
worlds unhappy condition, will not
be allowed to default her debt"