The Holly chieftain., 1923-12-27

p"A 'hes"i dhu IhiluFe, INSISTING
on an impartial reparations inquiry
after the plan suggested by Secretary
Of State Hughes. and saying France
must pay enough of the money lent
her to enable Great Britain to pay
America. Again no results, Premier
Poincare declaring Germany must set
tie the reparations question before
an economic accord could be reached.
Chancellor Stresemann, who had sue
,ceeded DR.. Cuno, announced the aban-
donment OF passive resistance and
said no more reparations would be
paid and the treaty of Versailles would
be repudiated. He also put an end
to the aid which the government had
been giving the Inhabitants of the oc-
cupied regions. Soon after this the
industrial magnates of the Ruhr and
Rhineland signed pact with the
French for the resumption Of work
and OF payments Of material,
In December the reparations COM
mission decided to appoint two com
mittees OF experts, one to examine
German money In foreign lands and
the other TO try to devise means by
which Germany might balance her
budget and stabilize her finances.
Poincare now seemed In a yielding
mood and President Coolidge an
nounced he approved Of unofficial
American participation through the
selection Of Americans as members
of those committees.
Turkeys diplomatic victory at Lau-
same was not easily won. While the
conference there was deadlocked in
January Mustapha Kemal mobilized
armies to move against Constantl-
nople, Mosul and other points and
called three classes to the colors to
combat the Greeks In Thrace. The
quarreling in the peace conference
was incessant. On January 81 the
allies submitted a treaty to the Turks
demanding Its acceptance within four
days. The Turks agreed to sign 1t II
the economic clauses, were reserved
for future settlement. Lord Curzon
departed In rage, and on February
the conference broke up. Diplomatic
conversations continued. however; the
British Indicated they would make
concessions and the conference was
resumed on April %. Russia being ex-
cluded. On July "a treaty was
signed which gave to Turkey nearly
all she had demanded, the question of
oil concessions being left for later
consideration. A few days later the
United States and Turkey signed
treaties of amity and commerce and
on extraditlon. BY October the al
lied military forces had evacuated
Constantinople and the Turks soon
| after took formal possession OF their
old capital.
| Warfare between Italy .and Greece
in the autumn was narrowly averted.
An Italian military commissioner and
his aids were murdered In Albania
and on August % Italy demanded that
Greece apologize abjectly and pay
reparations. The Greek reply being
unsatisfactory, the Italians promptly
bombarded and occupied the island of
Corfu. Greece appealed TO the League
of Nations, which was disposed to
take up the affair; but Premier Mus
sollnl declared Italy would withdraw
from the league and ignore its deci-
sion If 1t insisted on arbitratIng the
dispute. The situation was most en-
barrasslng for the League. but the
allied council of ambassadors rescued
1t by assuming Jurisdiction and order
Ing Greece to comply with Italy's de-
mands almost In their entirety. Greece
gave In, apologized and paid $4,000, 600
lire indemnity. and on September q
Italy evacuated Corfu.
MussolIni achieved another triumph
by an agreement with Jugo-Slavia
whereby Italy obtained possession of
Fiume.
In January American and British
commissions met in Washington to ne
gotiate the refunding of the British
war debt to America. and their task
was soon completed to the apparent
satisfaction Of both nations. The
Washington treaties on reduction of
armament and concerning the Pacific
were ratified by Italy in February and
by France in July. Through the ef-
forts OF an American commission sent
TO Mexico. the government of our
neighbor was finally brought to ami
cable terms and the long-withheld rec
ognltion was accorded by Washington
on August 81. d.