The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-02
BlameS German Leaders

| MEYERS, France, Nov. 1.-Premier Pt1ncare. while speaking Thursday at the inauguration of a soldiers me- morial here. stated that Germany had been forced Into a systematic | organized bankruptcy and that cer- tain classes of the population have been reduced to misery for the sole benefit of wealthy industrial and commercial leaders.
 l For this reason he deems 1t neces- 1 sary, he said, to hold Germany's pledges until France Is paid in full and pointed cut the progress made in the Ruhr during French occupation toward resumption of economic &C., tivity. In conclusion he defined the scope of the inquiry of experts ap- pointed by the reparations commis- 1 sion by stating that 1t must only deal with Germany's present capacity to pay.
 Prompt Accounting Sought. | This Is not the moment to change our conduct and we will not change it," the premier declared. "We have a keen desire to solve as rapidly as possible and in full agreement with our allies the grave question of repa- rations in which we are more inter- ested than any, but we will neither reconsider fixing our credits, aban- don our rights, renounce cur pledges, nor destroy the treaty signed by so many nations"
 Let an examination be made to discover what Germany can pay this moment or during short space of time," continued M. Poincare That Is well. That is the very role of the reparation commissitn enlightened by experts it can appoint; that the | ( tfAv, cCfn new arrangements of payment is the mission 1t received from the treaty that it search for means of raising ! German finances in a purely mone- tary fashion is It's right but let 1t not attempt either to change de- cisions 1t has already taken regard ing the total amount of our credits nLr engage In future attempts in definitely.
 What injustice; what risk if in a short time Germany should be freed of am part of its debt and if in some years she should present her self before us resurrected. enriched, to humiliate us by renewal of her power and crush us by her supre- macy? We will not be taken in such a snare"
 Denies Hidden Motive.
 In hlS peroration Premier Poin- care declared that Frances conduct was of the simplest and frankest na- ture possible without any hidden mo- tive. France would not be ruined. he said, in order to increase shameless wealth of certain German magnates whose oligarchy still remained true to the sovereign German republic.
 "The more the war receded into the past the more the national in- terests resumed their intransigeance everywhere, each nation having a tendency to see nothing but its own ills. We do not deny that to others, but without claiming any favor or privilege we believe we have a right to security because that affects the peace of the world, and right to reparations, because they had been expressly promised in the treaty it. self in the name of justice"
 The premier then dealth with Ger manys refusal to pay her obliga- tions, counting on the idea that time would free her from them; would weaken the solidarity of the allies put their vigilance to sleep and sar their spirit of resolution.
 Long before we decided to enter the Ruhr and seize guarantees, he said, "the reich had systematically organized it's bankruptcy."N