The Monmouth inquirer., 1923-03-22
BERLIN PLEA FOR
PEACE TO FRANCE
BY Non-Resort to Diplomatic
Channels Appearance of Rup-
ture viii Be Avoided.
FACES SAVED If PLAN FAILS
Teutons Soon to Say They Have Plan
Ready for AIlies-cuno Wants His
Advances to Seem Not
to Be Direct.

Cologne.-In spite of repeated de-
malls it is now possible to say that
negotiations were begun last week by
the Berlin Government which 1t is
hoped may shortly lead to a public
opening of discussion with France OF
the terms on which evacuation OF the
Ruhr will be begun.
The Intermediates who have placed
their services at the disposal OF the
two governments are, it is understood.
the British and Italian members OF the
Committee on Guarantees of the Repa-
ration Commissions, who in this mat
ter are acting unofficially and simply
as a medium of communication.
Both Berlin and Paris have accepted
their Offices as being preferable to
those of strictly neutral power as
the members of this committee are
more fully acquainted with the situa-
ton of the two governments and In
closer touch with the matters in dis
pute than any outsider could be.
Furthermore, as they are officials
and not strictly diplomats, their action
does not commit either government,
and should the exchange of converse
lions not lead to any immediate result
an appearance of rupture can more
easily be avoided than If some per-
sonality, such as Premier Benese of
Czechoslovakia, were taking part.
Though this attempt is being made
to get the opponent countries to meet
on common ground, it is believed in
competent circles here that 1t is too
early to hope for any immediate settle
ment For this belief the reason given
is that neither country can yet claim
to have obtained any distinct advan-
tage over the other in this complicated
tussle.
While the French can claim to have
crippled German industry severely, to
have shut off the Ruhr coal supply and
prevented any export of manufactured
goods, their advantage lies more in
the possibility OF doing far greater
damage to Germany than in what has
been accomplished. The Germans on
the other hand can point with salts
faction to the fact that France has
herself derived no direct advantage
from the occupation of the industrial
district.
With immense difficulty and at enor-
nous cost she has obtained mere
fraction of the amount of coal which
would normally have been delivered.
She has collected little or no revenue
and she has suffered almost as great
an immediate loss by closing the Lor-
raine blast furnaces as have German
ports. Further, the Germans are argu-
ing that while they have begun stabili-
cation of the mark at an average of
10000 to the dollar, the French ex-
change situation has grown worse pro-
portionately.
In these circumstances it is proving
difficult for the negotiators to obtain
from either side any concessions
which might be interpreted as sign
of defeat. The best they can hope to
do is to bring about a settlement
which will have the nature of peace
without victory and that kind of peace.
it is pointed out is always the most
difficult to obtain.
The situation is for this reason at
most critical stage. While the French
have only to wait to secure a larger
measure of success in the ruination of
German industry. the Germans have
almost exhausted the possibilities of
resistance.
Moreover, though the first large
scale attempt by the French to requisi-
ton coal at Westerholt is somewhat
Enthusiastically disproportionate in its re-
suits to the expenditure in men and
trouble necessary, 1t is being used and
will be extended with the intention OF
showing that in the last resort the
French are in a position to obtain coal
and coke in sufficient quantities to
keep their industries going.