The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1923-12-18
DEFAULT|NG GERMANY
KEEPSEUROPE| IN STRgssE,
WHAT CAN COUNTRY PAY IS
BIG QUESTION THAT CAUs-
ES POWERS GOODNESS.
FRANCE AND ENGLAND DIFFER

Movement Is on Foot on the Other
Side to Have a Conference of Ex-
merits Determine What Bill Should
Total. Commission Proposed.
How much has Germany paid?
What can Germany pay? How shall
Germany pay?
Germany continues to be the buga-
boo of the world Statesmen, diplo-
mats, economists and fnanciers are
convinced that the peace of the world
demands that one of two things be
done immediately-Germany must
either be given good spanking or
be given a generous dose of soothing
syrup.
The Big Question Mark.
The time is past, it is contended,
when any one country can isolate it
self and let the rest of the world go
hang if it chooses. International COM
merce is the big thing in the world
today. say economists, and nations
are so locked and interlocked togeth-
er in this great game of commerce
that the world is almost unit instead
OF collection of units When one
part of the world is sick the trouble
is communicated to all the other parts,
lust like a severe headache makes
man miserable all over.
Now the question being asked is
this-is Germany really sick, or is
Germany just playing off sick?
The whole trouble is PREPARATIONS.
That one neutrality-suspicious.
more to the world today than any
other word in the worlds AZ different
languages.
When the war between Germany
and France ended in 1871 Germany
said to France: you owe us $780,
100000 francs 100000 because
we won the war" France made a wry
lace and then got to work and sent
that 5.00O,000,000 francs into Germany
so fast that the whole world was as
tonished.
Tables Reversed.
When Germany lost the war in
1918 the allies said to Germany: You
owe US 184,011,H3,044 marks ($4O,;.,
O00.O00,000) because we won the war.
Ii France hadn't paid the 50OGOO0,000
francs in 1871 there would have been
lUIllltI tIOuDIC. 1lCIloNiy AZ lCudg
if Germany doesn't pay the l84000,-
000OOO marks there is going to be
trouble Germany hasn't paid so tar,
is defaulting on her promised pay
mcnts and there is trouble
Germany says 81 can't pay The
amount is excessive. Be reasonable"
The result is move on loot IN hu-
rope to have a conference OF experts
! +,,,,Cb
can pay
United States Invited.
The United States was invited to
take part in such a conference, but the
invitation has been declined on the
ground that France insists that Ger
many pay in full and that the inquiry
be restricted to the entertainments OF
n the amounts that can be paid on the
q separations bill in the near future.
The United States insists that the
experts go into the matter exhaustive
w. not only when Germany can pay,
q but how much she can pay. There
n isn't the fullest accord among Eng
q land and France and Italy and Bel
8 GUM. but they might be able to get
q together on some sort of proposition
4 and enable the commission OF experts
n to go ahead.
lust to show how the PREPARATIONS
4 question is endangering the peace OF
4 the world it is only necessary to cite
h the French and Belgian occupation OF
q the Ruhr valley, the richest industrial
3 section of Germany. This territory
was occupied when Germany default
4 ed on her reparations payments Ger
s many had agreed to send so much
s. coke to France in part payment OF hef
q war bill The coke was not torthcom-
q ing France went into the Ruhr.
England was not in sympathy with
s. France then; she isn't in sympathy
u with France now. England says Ger.
8 many can't pay what the allies ask OF
8 her, that France is demanding too
4 much. There is a decided GOODNESS be-
\ tween England and France, former
q allies. There are even those who say
8 that France and England will night
4 the next war. 1t all came about pc
q cause Germany didn't pay as the al
q lies demanded she pay at the close OF
q the world war
The Bill.
E As already pointed out the allies
8 fixed the total reparations bill at 1874
4 0ll773O44 marks, or the equivalent
II in coke, coal, machinery, etc. 1t was
soon agreed that the sum was 100
much, that Germany couldn't foo, the
bill Then the bill was reduced 1T TO
q l}2000000000 gold marks ($3ZOOO,-
00o000). France says that is the min
imum, the bill won't be reduced an
"a other mark. England is for reducing
the total Italy doesn't know exactly
on which side of the fence to STAND.
s. There is cause for friction between
n the allies, and there is friction.
Yet something will have to be done.
Germany can't buy goods because she
has no money to pay for them ana
n England wishes to sell Germany man.
uiactured goods. That is why England
wants an agreement, settlement
hat is why England is willing to re-
duce the reDarations bill.
Affecting Europe.
Germany can't buy the surplus
u goods of Europe because she hash
the money and she can't supply Eu-
rope with other goods that Europe
needs because the country is demon,
" .,Is- TIT e ND