Evening star., 1923-06-10
CERMANY'S LAST WORD
YET TO BE DEF WERED
British May Heed Belgium and Ask
Abandonment of Passive Resist,
ance-Key to Settlement.

I Rhineland then France is ready to
| listen to England, otherwise there
| can be little hope of rapprochement
| between the two insofar as their
! German policies are concerned. At
the moment some French statesmen
are inclined to blame the English for
J not haying told the Germans to agree
| to end passive resistance. 1t Is be-
| lieved that the Belgians will inter
| cede and request England to make
some such indirect tender to the Ger
| mans in the hope of inspiring a new
| note to the allies more in accordance
with the French viewpoint.
BeIgiunt's Position Unusual.
The Belgian position Is unusual in
| that Brussels is committed to occu-
pational pressure in the Ruhr and
! the Rhineland. at the same time in
| sisting with the French that Germany
! admit necessity of concrete payments
and end her passive resistance to the
| allies. yet Belgium. acknowledging
! the gravity OF prolonged unsettled
economic conditions, Is joining with
/ the British viewpoint that the time
has come for practicing to degree
| the policy of give and take in re-
] adjusting the amount of the repara-
| tions payments and the methods by
which these payments should be made.
Belgian officials are in close touch
with the foreign office in London and
! 1t in turn is in close touch with Rome
As a consequence the viewpoints of
! the three allies on economic phases
of the whole situation are drawing
! closer and closer. The question nat
urally arises as to how successful
! any supreme council meeting would
| he in case the British. Italians and
! Relgians insisted that some points
| heretofore considered by France as
| indispensable be waived for the sake
| OF general adjustment. There is little
| reason for believing much would he
accomplished unless previously the
Germans had been informed az to the
| irreducihle demands of England. Bel
gium and Italy and then make ten
ders along these lines previous 70
supreme council meeting. Premier
Poincare then might have some diff
Guilty in rejecting the combined view
Germany. At least immediate ne
entiations might be brought about
from which some settlement would
cventuate.
German CapItulntion Essential.
British officials admit that unless
thee ia comr1ete capitu'ation by Ber-
! lin TO all Of the French demands there
is little likelihood of allied agreement
at the moment. There i~ every indi-
cation that Premier Baldwin will
move cautiously in hope of avoiding
any further breach between the
French and British continental poll
cies There are. however. insistent
demands IN England that he not COM
NIT the British to the French view
, roint in regard to the general oues-
tion OF reparations and the Ruhr.
Premier Baldwin is facing n severe
test. and If he maintains British In
f1uence abroad and respect at home
for the moment. he will be in better
position to press home his policies
when the psychological time arrives
for Britain to take a firm stand.
With Germany evading the gem
rrai question of massive resistance,
even Premier Baldwin cannot go
far in bringing about readjustment.
for should Premier Poincare give in
on this one point. and still sustain
others. his political tenure would be
brought to sudden end if the view
noint OF statesmen and peoples in
France has been interpreted correctly
Notwithstanding the general mac
ceptable state Of German note at
the moment. there is every indication
that it will not be the last and that
in the immediate future still another
offer will go forward to allied capi-
tails and that it will be more in ac-
cord with their wishes in the matter
IF there is such note it may be taken
for granted that the British have
done much for the cause Of further
concession.
According TO advices which have |
reached Washington the Germans |
really are eager to end the whole d:
deadlock once and for all time. but /,
their limit OF proposals has not vet 4!
been reached, inaSmuch as it Is the /,
desire of the German government to i
leave as much as possible to neeo- !!
tiation. with the hope of avoiding, for |
the sake of temporary expediency. !
concessions which this Germany gov |
ernment or any other cannot expect |
to fulfill