Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-08-23
CURzON' S PROPOSAL
TURNED DOWN, BUT.
CONF FERENCE INVITED
Hint That Britain Might Ask
France to Pay Up Fails to
Shake Poincare's Ruhr
Policy

PARIS, Aug. 22.-(By the Asso-
ciated Press).-Germany can obtain
evacuation of the Ruhr only by pay
ing reparations, she can assure at
tenuation of the rigors of the oc-
cupation by ceasing passive resist
ance and she can win no reduction
in the amount she owes France I'M
less the allied creditors of France
see fit to give France credit for
equal amounts on her war debts.
These are the conclusions of Pre-
mier Poincare's reply to Marquis
Curzon's reparation note of recent
date. The French government also
expresses its belief that the allies
can agree on methods Of bringing
about the execution of the treaty by
continuing courteous negotiations.
The British proposals for a re-
estimate of Germanys capacity for
payment, and Lord Curzon's sug-
gestion that the question of the
HSSdllly VI lIlS OCCupclL1OA1 VI Liz
Ruhr be referred to The Hague are
rejected, and the French position is
reaffirmed as unchanged.
France holds that settlement of
the question of inter-allied war debts
should wait upon final payment by
Germany of fifty billion gold marks
in PREPARATIONS comprised in the A
and b bonds. Official opinion of
the reply, as set forth in the sum-
mary in English given out today al
the foreign office, is that the note
contains the elements of a prac-
teal solution of the PREPARATIONS prob
lem, but a careful reading Of the
communication shows that, in the
opinion of M. Poincare, the only
practical solution is for Great Brit
ain to accept the French thesis in
every detail.
French Position Unchanged
The French position remains I'm.
changed, according to the official
summary of the reply issued in
English at the foreign office prior
to publication of the complete text.
Premier Poincare stresses the
priority Of reparations over other
war costs as represented by the in
ter-allied debts.
France never repudiated the
debts she contracted during the war,
either to England or to America, in
the interest Of the common victory"
the note asserts.
France also is the creditor of the
other allies for five or six billion
gold marks. the summary continues,
but there can be no doubt bu:
that in the minds Of those. who craft
ed the treaty, damages to persons
and property were to be granted pri-
Gritty over war COSTS" Therefore,
asks the note, is it to be supposed
that such war costs, which the
allies agreed should rank after rep
aiatiCns, after pensions and after
the damages stipulated in the treaty,
and which they do not claim from
Germany, are now to be claimed by
the allies from each other before
Germany has even begun to pay
up"
fe1ring specifically to the Brit
teen and one.fifth billion gold T. arKs,
the summary continues:
1--WE do not suppose that England
intends to claim the sums owing
her by the allies before reparations
are actually settled. She VIII GER
rainly be the first to realize that
IN Cr0er to pay what size owes
erarce much previously have re-
covered her contributive DO Yer, have
repaired her grievous loss, and must
be in a position to meet German
competition with equal weapons.
Selfish Policy Denied
''It is, no doubt, to EngIand's in
tercst that Germany shall recover. 1t
certainly cannot be to her ir terest
that France should be diminished.
The summary begins by deHcribing
the note as "a general ami sVmpa-
tnetic statement of the position taken
by France" containing the ele-
mcnts of a practical solution.'
The synopsis asserts that France
never dreamed of pursuing Il selfish
nC;; CIV in the question of cecarations
a question that cannot ehe solved
without due regard to the whcie Eu-
ropean interests involved"
Furthermore she always took into
consideration Great Britai!l's Ia
nitntable and persistent untmploy-
inert"
The occupation of the Ruhr was
made obligatory, in Premier Poln-
cares opinion, by what he calls the
deliberate debasement of Germany's
finances with the aVowed intention
of escaping payment of reparations.