The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-05
DEFINITE BREAK IN. RANKS IF ALLIES. ON PREPARATIONS.
England Holds Out Against Three Other Natlons-The Washington Government
 May Take Hand
Ccontinued From Page one)

suggestion was put forward to leave
 several doors open" to the premiers in the event of an emergency.
 Presumably word will come from
 Paris if the French government sees hope in the suggestion that not alone the question as to the amount Ger many can pay but also the method
 of payment, he referred for advisory recommendations to an international
 commi ssion of financial authorities unhampered by political concerns or
 obligations. Mir. Hughes has indicated that American financiers would serve
 on such a commission with govern mental sanction if they were invited.
 Fear Force
 There is believed to be time for
 decision abroad to examine the pos
 siblities of the American suggestion before France can move to carry out
 the program outlined to the council by. Premier Poincare, and rejected by
 the British prime minister. The
 present moratorium does not expire
 until January 15, and dispatch of
 French civil commission into the
 River Valley and other steps to-
 ward forcible collections included in the French plan. 1t is felt, cannot well be taken in advance of that date and formal announcement of Ger
 manys failure to make required pay ments,
 Since Secretary Hughes made his
 suggestion in his New Haven speech both the French and British plans for settlement have been presented and rejected It is to be noted that the
 French proposal carefully avoids any employment of the French army, at
 least in the first instance, in the plan for separations collections ad-
 vanced The work would be done by civil commissioners sent from France.
 That this relieves the French plan of elements of force against which the American Secretary of State di- rected his remarks at New Haven is wholly impossible. Mir. Hughes said
 at that time:
 We should view with disfavor measures which instead of produc- ing reparations would threaten dis aster.
 Is Washington View At another point the secretary asked what was to be done if the Paris conference failed to reach an | agreement:
 ! "The alternative" he continued, 'of | forcible measures to obtain repara- 1 tions is not an attractive one. No one I can foretell the extent of the serious | tconsequences which might ensue rom such course Apart from political
 results, I believe that the opinion or
 experts is that such measures will not
 produce reparation payment, but i might end to destroy the basis of ! those payments which must be founo ! ip recnnprati0n. There can be little doubt that the | secretarys words precisely indicate the view of the Washington govern l ment as to the probable effect or l the French plan of action, although l they were uttered before the French | plan was made public. The political results that officials here believe 1 would result in Germany from the l proposed Preach measures evidently | re of an even more serious charac- ter, although Mir. Hughes specifically | eliminated from consideration in his i speech. There Is no doubt that state l department advices have indicated | that a collapse of the German gov | ernment was to be expected if forei- 1 ble collections were attempted and that political chaos probably would l follow.
 Harvey Consulted. 1 There was much speculation after 1 the break k-up of the premier's meet l ing as to the effect any French de- 1 termination to carry out their plans l independently might have on the | status of the American army of oc- 1 cupation on the Rhine. No word on this point was available. Secretary l Hughes conferred late in the day [ with Secretary Weeks, but it was | learned authoritatfyely that the l forces in the Rhine were not men | toned Matters of interest to the and it was on these points that the | two cabinet officers exchanged views.
 Earlier today MT. Hughes spent 1 more than an hour with Ambassador Harvey. Again, however. no word was given out as to the nature Of the discussion. Since MT. Harvey was called home from London very | largely for the purpose of talking over with President Harding and Mir. 1 Hughes the situation that has now presented itself. it is to be inferred 1 that the Washington administration 1 is not without hope that the course> | it suggested informally will appeal ! to allied statesmen, and American l helpfulness in the crisis become l available to Europe through the only 1 avenue officials here can See to that | result.
 | There Is little reason to believe ! there will be any immediate change 1 of policy in Washington regarding | the troops n the Rhine even if the. | French government should proceed | to execution of its reparation plans. l The question of the movement of l French forces through the Ameri- 1 can Rhine bridgehead territory into | the Ruhr is not in immediate con ! temptation. Eyen.fif 1t was, it is | said, 1t would not be necessary for the French to obtain permission of the American commander for such a 1 movement nor could the United | States oppose it except in diplo- 1 matic way.
 What ultimate effect of the l French operations beyond the Rhine 1 might have on the status of Major | General Aliens command is de- | batable question. It would not be l taken up in Washington, it is indi-
 cated, in advance of the event and | no definite policy regarding with | drawal of the forces is to be ex- 1 pected. except in the light of condi- 1 tions of fact warranting a change in l attitude here.