Evening star., 1923-08-28
Reply to British on Repara-
tion Contends Ruhr Seizure
Legal Under Treaty.
DEFENDS PRIORITY CLAIM
AGREED AT CONFERENCE
Answers Britain's Claim Belgians
Have Been Unduly Favored
Thus Far.
BY the Associated Press.


PARIS. August 28.-The Belgian
government in its reply to the last
British reparations note stands with
France on the principal points of
contention, maintaining that the le-
gality OF the Ruhr occupation has been
established by the previous action OF
the allies, including Great Britain,
and that evacuation of the Ruhr val
ley is impossible on simple promises
from Germany.
Foreign Minister Jaspar asserts
that that whole problem of repara-
tions and the question of interallied
debts are definitely bound together
and he proposes a new method of
procedure in the negotiations, sug-
gesting conversations among the al
lies. without reverting to the old sys-
tenn of conferences"
NJ Jaspar remarks that If a reduc-
tion in Germany's debt is necessary,
the balance she Is obliged to pay
ought to apply to material damages
only. This might be understood AS
meaning the elimination OF pensions
,
thus reducing the British share to an
infinitely small percentage.
Dwells on Justice.
The reply. given out at the Belgian
embassy here this morning, dwells
particularly upon the Justice OF Bel
gium's claim to priority in repara-
tions payment. II points out that thus
far Belgium has received only two
million gold marks more than Great
Britain.
The Ruhr regime. the note says. is
what the Germans have required 1t
to be by their violence and resist
ance. 1t was intended to be an eco
of the pledges which the allies had q
right to take under the treaty OF YER
sailles. II the military feature of the
occupation has been necessarily ex-
tended. the, note continues. the Ger
mans alone are responsible. The oc-
cupation will be modified whenever
the German people abandon their
present attitude.
Discuss Priority.
Six of the twenty-five pages in the
document are devoted to a discussion
of Belgian priority in reparation pay
ments. The note answers in detail
the implication in the British COM
munication that Belgium has been
unduly favored, since the other allies
have made sacrifices while her pri-
ority has remained.
Belgian priority in reparations, -
asserts the note, was recognized In
hn
fourteen points 1t was recognized
by the British government in the SOL
emn document giving Belgium formal
assurance that she would receive
after the war, integral reparation for
the immense damage inflicted upon
her solely because she remained faith
ful to her engagement with the pow
ers that guaranteed her neutrality ~
In spite of her priority claims, NJ
Jaspar remarks, Belgium has received
In cash and kind only a little more
than Great Britain or France. He
then gives the exact figures in gold
marks as follows:
Great Britain. j. .2s7. 900. 900; France
1.175.o0o.000; Belgium. 1896, zoo, 900
the other allies. $4,000, 900.
NJ. Jaspar lays down the principle
the percentages Of the allied shares
must be revised. He contends thai
the balance due from Germany must
apply only to material damage done
by her during the war-that is, the
destruction of property in Belgium
and France. shipping losses at sea
and damages from air raids in Eng
land.
: Damage Seen Lower.
He remarks that although the ma.
terial damage is perhaps less than
the 1,299,000,000 gold marks now con-
sidered as due from Germany, it is
considerably more than the sums
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