The Mankato free press., 1923-06-08

Il Iobl L use OhC1
sum of 1872 900, ,oOO, 900 gold marks.
Germany always has asserted
that this amount was far beyond
her ability &c pay. In counter pro-
posals she has offered various sums,
all of them far below the total y Set
forth in the original demand.
In addition she has hedged about
her tender stipulations which the
allies, and particularly France, have
refused point blank to consider. In
sufficient guarantees that Germany
would make good her promises al
ways have been pointed out by
France as good reasons for thai
country declining to give full con-
sideration to her offers.
Her First Offer
Germanys first offer was thirty
billion gold marks ($7,500,000, ,000)
payable at the rate of S240, 10000
annually for Ave years. with a new
arrangement Of liquidation to be
worked out after that period. The
offer was conditional on Upper Sill
esia being awarded to Germany and
the restoration of Germany's prI-
vileges throughout the worlda
The second tender was almost
identical with the first as regards
| lu6 olC d1SO ecu w pay
the equivalent Of a II per cent tax
on exports.
In April, 1921, came an offer ur
| sc, ,O00, ,000, 900 gold marks, one bill
lion of which was to be paid i'm
mediateIy and the remainder to be
Houidated in annuities running oveI
long period of time, ultimately
bringing the total, with accrued in
terest, up to 200, 200 900 900 marks.
Meeting Allied Ministers
Then, in January, 1928, came the
meeting of the allied prime minis
ters in Paris at which the repara-
tions differences between these O. :
fcials became more accentuated.
The British and French were agreed
on a reparations figure OF fifty bill
lion gold marks and as on the ques-
ton of comprehensive financial con-
troll. They were in direct opposition
on the question Of penalties, France
desiring to seize guarantees along
the Rhine and in the Rhur, while
Great Britain did not desire any
further occupation Of German terri
tory. except in the case Of some
future default by Germany.
A few days later, France, accom-
panied by the Belgians anu some
Italian forces entered the Ruhr. The
last offer made by Germany was foI
total indemnity payment of thirty
billion gold marks. All the Allies
Immediately rejected it.
Was Noteworthy Conference
Brussels, June lit is generally
agreed that the conference Of
French and Belgian ministers was
noteworthy in at least two respects.
In the first place, although Premier
Poincare insisted that no German
reparations offer could be consider
ed while passive resistance was
m aintained in the Ruhr, his attitude
was regarded as considerably more
compromising than heretofore.
Furthermore the French gave no.
'ce of their willingness to consider
in a conciliatory spirit any reason
able offer from Berlin although they
reiterated that the Ruhr could be
l evacuated only as Germany paid.
On this they were supported by
Belgium.
In the second place the ministers
let It be known that the assistance
Of Great Britain in suggesting a
settlement would not be unwelcome
should there be no agreement on
| IGernany's new reparations propos-
ais. Premier Poincare and Theunis
also decided to submit to London a
plan to organize an international
tobacco and alcohol syndicate as a
means> of getting more out Of the
occupied regions.
The ministers also decided that
all the allies might well be asked to
sign a joint reply to the expected
German OFFER.