Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-08-25
BALDWIN WANTS
CONFERENCE WITH
PO|NCARE ON RUHR
u, S, Officials See New
Peace Hope in French Bid
for Further Negotiations
With Less Publicity

W. VI INV 'NOSOI
With Less Publicity
LONDON, Aug. 23.-(By the Asso-
ciated Press -Reccgnizing the fu-
tility OF a further exchange of
lengthy notes on the reparation
issue, Prime Minister Baldwin has
decided to meet Premier Poincare
upon the formers return from his
vacation at Aix-les- Bains, it became
known today.
The British premier will not for
mally ask his French colleague for
an appointment but will make
known quietly through second par
ties his readiness to discuss the
whole reparation problem in the
light of the French premier's latest
note.
Prime Minister Baldwin returned
to London from the country last
night and took preliminary look
at the French note. Time will be
allowed the ministers to consider
the arguments of Premier Polncare
before any formar cabinet discus
sion takes place.
MIR. Baldwin leaves Saturday for
\ Aix-Les- Baines, France, where he is
likely to give full consideration to
the latest note. Before returning to
England he may meet MARQUIS Cur
zon, foreign secretary, who is stay
ing at Bagnolles, Normandy.
u. S. SEES NEW HOPE
IN POINCARE'S ATTITUDE
By David Lawrence
(Leased Wire Service to The Journal.)
Copyright, 1921
WASHINGTON, Aug. ~. - Pre-
mier Poincare's note to Great
Britain is exactly what the United
States government expected. This
does not mean that officials here APP
prove of the French line of reason
ing, but they are inclined to agree
with the French premier that no
good purpose is served by discus
sion from the house tops of the in
tricate problems of reparations.
In other words, an open demand
by Great Britain could not have
been accepted by Poincare without
committing political suicide. To
WELD to Great Britain in the face
of the whole world would have been
humiliating. That is why consider
ably more Importance is attached
today to the broad hint in M. Poin-
cares note suggesting that the ne
gotiations be continued with more
discretion and less publicity. ..
Although the United States is
more or less an innocent bystander
in the exchange of notes between
Great Britain and France, there is
no escaping the direct references to
Americas part in the financial re-
adjustment of Europe. Naturally
there is disappointment here that
the French should have gone so far
as to say publicly that while the
war debt to America would be paid,
payments would not be begun until
Germany began laying reparations.
To Clear Debt Cloud
The French have determined, In
cidentally, to draw up an agree
ment with the United States to pay
the debt. It will be in a sense
recognition of the existence of the
debt and an answer to the criti-
cism which has been leveled at
France to the effect that she has
never formally acknowledged her
war debt, but on the contrary has
indicated through some of her states
men-as, for instance, M. Loucheur
that the debt would be repudiated.
Premier Poincdre's statement that
the forthcoming negotiations with
America are intended to bring about
a definite agreement to pay was
noted here as significant. The ex-
act words Of the French premier are:
I'VE wish to pay our debts, both
our debts toward the United States
and our debts toward Great Britain.
We cannot accord preference to one
or the other. We cannot therefore
bring about solidarity with Ger
many for the payment Of the debt of
England to the United States. We
cannot, on the other hand, abandon
our whole share of bonds for partial
settlement of the inter-allied debts.
We should in any case be obliged to
come to an agreement in advance
with the government of the United
States, which also being our creditor
has interest in seeing that our finan-
cial position is not made worse"
The Interpretation of the foregoing
heard today is that France believes
America cannot exert pressure to
force France to pay her debts before
German reparations are forthcoming
and that America will not fall In
with the British plans for closer re-
1ationship with Germany which
might hinder the reconstruction or
productivity Of Frence.
Theory Held UntenabIe
The American position is quite SIM
pie. To the extent that France de.
clares reparations must be settled
apart from the question of inter-al.
lied war debts. the United States is
In hearty accord with the French DO
sition. But to withhold making an
agreement to pay the United States
until payments are actually received
from Germany is, in the opinion of
responsible people here, an utterly
untenable theory of fair dealing as
between debtor and creditor.
America asked no questions of
France when the money was origi
nally lent. No strings were attached.
Three and half billion dollars were
furnished by the American people
through Liberty loan drives and no
French official said anything about
paying it back only when GERMANY
should recover sufficiently to pay it
after defeat. To transfer the bur.
den to Germany does not sit well in
official quarters.
The British made their agreement
without saying anything about get
ting income from Germany or
any other countries now owing her
money. The French capacity to paw
America apart from any payments
that may come to France from Ger.