Evening star., 1923-01-05
FRANCE PROCEEDS
WITH OWN PLAN TO
MAKE BERLIN PAY

,WRkE bEhLlN fRI
Continued from First Page.l
| tween British and French statesmen
| since the war. There was much
| laughter among the participants and
| an apparent utter absence of strain
OF resentment for the breaking up of
! the reparations conference.
Two minutes before the train left. Mr..
Bonar Law stepped into his private car
and stood at the window, with NJ,
Poincare below on the platform.
| Britain to Await Events
The two premiers, smiling at each
other, exchanged a word now and
then until the train drew out. when Mr..
Bonar Law waved his hand and bowed.
and NJ Poincare lifted his hat and
celled out. bon voyage
1t is understood that Prime Minister
| Bonar Law will preside at meeting OF
| the British cabinet in London tomorrow.
British officials said England probably
\ would await events. now that France
had resumed her liberty OF action.
1t was denied today in British circles
! that any member Of the British dele
CATION had said Great Britain would
| make q formal protest in the event
France went into the Ruhr.
4 But there was no definite indication
| given that the British government would
not make such formal protest.
France I'm Role of Trustee.
It was. decided autnoritatively that
| Great Britain expects France TO hold
anything she may seize in Germany
\ as trustee for all the allies. This
Is In accordance with expressions IN
recent speech by M. Poincare, and
| a British spokesman said today he
| had seen nothing since to change the
| situation in this respect.
Sir John Bradbury. British member
/ OF the reparations commission. said
| today the report that he would re-
! IL met TO consider the default in
| coal deliveries was inaccurate. He
I said he had only refused TO sit II
| the reparations commission met dur
| the date OF the meeting had been
| fixed for tomorrow, he added, he was
| ready to participate.
| Premier Polncare will discuss Bel
gian cooperation with Premier Theu-
| mis- before the latter returns to Brus-
| sells this evening.
Default I'm Wood Basis.
It is regarded here as probable that
Premier Poincare will take as the
basis for action against Germany the
! recent decision OF the reparations
| commission in adiudgtng Germany in
| default in her deliveries of wood In
| q few days, II is confidently believed,
the commission will also find that
Germany has defaulted In her coal
deliveries.
Sir John Bradbury. British member
OF the comml ssion, Is understood to
have advised President Barthou that
he will not attend the melting next
| Tuesday, at which the coal deliveries
q
torium will be taken up. This de-
cision is held in French circles as an
indication that Great Britain intends
to abstain from participating in the
| affairs of the commission and will be
represented by an observer
Decision Only to BE Confirmed.
The presence or absence of the Brit
| ish member is immatertal, Il is point
| ed out, inasmuch as the majority de-
cision on the timber default must
| only be confirmed at next weeks
! meeting TO become operative. Sir John
Bradbury cast the only dissenting
vote on the question OF the default
II Germany is officially declared TO
\ be behind in her GOAL deliveries only
the physical manifestations of coer-
cion would be necessary. These steps,
| II Is believed, Will no doubt involve
! the military occupation of at least
part of the Ruhr valley along such
| lines as may be agreed upon by the
French and Belgian premiers.
1t appears rather uncertain that the
polite disagreement between France
and Great Britain will be limited to
| the reparations question.
Policy Based on Freedom.
Nothing could be more fatal than to
imagine, says the Journal, that France
could, for instance trail behind Brit
! ain at Lausanne. Frances policy, this
newspaper says, is based on freedom
| OF action and cannot be divided into
compartments.
French opinion, as echoed by the
press, remains moderate. It Is meas
ured m the expression of the hope
that the entente cordiaie will be re-
party maintaining freedom of action.
It would seem.. however, that some
apprehension fs felt lest the gap be-
tween the two countries widen In
view Of the vital character of the dis
agreement.
All the newspapers pay homage TO
the sincerity Of Mr.. Bonar Law. al
though they deplore that he allowed
himself to be persuaded too easily
by his financial experts.
Sir John Scored as villain
Sir John Bradbury Is singled out as
the Villain. OF the piece and seems TO
have inherited the unpopularity Of
Mr.. Lloyd George here. Pertinax de-
cfares that Bradbury drafted his
governments proposals and that "he
sought In the accomplishment of the
task to avenge the personal defeat
he considers he incurred in the rep
arationB commission on the subject of
Am HAfaMlf n N@
woods"
"He even went 30 far" the writer
adds, ."as to tell the Germans, 7 hope
the British plan will be well received
by your press"
Poinears Also Criticized.
!. Criticism of Premier Poincare, al
though infrequent. is not lacking. II
comes mostly from the radical group.
Robert de e.Jouyenel in Loeuvre hopes
that the premter's provision will
prove accurate and Bonar Laws
faulty In the near future.
"But, frankly. the writer contin-
ues. I'VE do not count upon IT. Al
ready the dollar and the pound ster-
ling have rissn. while the mark has
dropped q little more. Hope. OF sta
bifizing German currency al. the only
means Of obtaining adequate pay
ments is dwindhng. Let as hope that
we shalI not be obliged next year TO
Iand six. hundred and fifty millions
as Germany has just been forced to do
with Austria"
Measures such as are usual in the
time of crisis were taken by the
French military authorities at May
erce az soon as news of the break
down In thes premIers' conference In
Paris became known, says a dispatch
to the SJourtial from Mayence.
The dispatch adds that headuuar-
tsrs sent orders % m OF the troops