New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1923-07-27
AMERICANS DOING
ANIMP0RTANT WORK
Small Group Headed by Ex-NaVy
Officer Working Hard

Paris, July 27.--While the United
states government has limited Its &C
tivities In the reparations embroglio
to an official observer, and, since the
. versailles treaty has watched the
problem as 1t became more intricate
Day by day, there has been little
group of Americans here for the past
TOUR years who have taken anything
put 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
T. Aud, formerly an officer of the
United States navy, who holds the
post of accountant general. He Is re-
sponsible 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.
Position Individual
The position of Mr.. Aud with the
commission is entirely individual, as
he has no connection with the United
States or any other government. His
staff of about 90 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 It's
daily and monthly balances, it must
deal with ships, livestock, abandoned
war material, rolling stock, coal and
coke, dyestuffs, and score of other
commodities, as we'll as the actual
cash payments of German gold marks.
When the balance sheet has been tai
lied, It is necessary to render the to-
tails in marks. pounds, francs, Tires and
dollars. The modify valuations
have been made In nearly all the cur
rencies of Europe, as well as in dol
lars
When currency payments are made
they are Immediately converted to
gold through the dollar rate, with |
roughly four marks equalling one dol |
lar The accountancy department re- |
ceives the New York exchange rate |
for 20 or rs countries by cable each |
day, and with these rates as a basis, |
daily. weekly and monthly PARTIES be-
tween the various currencies are es-
tablished At the end of each month
a complete report Is made, showing
the amount Germany has paid to date,
and how 1t has been distributed
the Allies.
MucrB of this work is done by the
American staff. One computes the
value of coal from the Ruhr; another
determines the worth of livestock in
francs, dollars and pounds: another
reduces locomotives to marks and
hen to lires, while another one quotes
lucks. geese and chickens In dollars,
,uilders and crowns. 49,.
At the end of 1922, the accountan-
" department under Mr.. Aud had
yhipped the miles of figures into an
Ineligible report, showing that Ger
nany had turned over to the Allies a
yrand total of 1882, 0oO,0 900. Of this ,
um s454,O0O0O0 was in cash: $685. I
100, 900 in commodities. and s639,0o,- ;
100 in state properties of coded ter :
tories. 6
The ships she had parted with to- c
allied twoSnnd a half million gross ,
ons, valurd at s177,O00,000. or roll :
ne stock she had delivered 4.552 To- !
omotives and $4,000 wagons. worth :
o07,OO0,0OO. The livestock included q
$4,000 head, exclusive of poultry.
his was given a valuation of $40,-
10000. The coal, coke and Ignite \