Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-07-26
ReparatiOn Work
Dare By Americans
OF Much Importance

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rcparations embroglio to an official
observer, and, since the Versailles
Treaty has watched the problem as
it became more intricate day by day,
there has been little group of
Americans here for the past four
years who have taken anything but
u minor part in the vast work of
the reparation commission.
This unheralded little group consti-
tutes the staff Of accountants with
the commission, and is headed by
George L. Aud, formerly an officer of
the United States navy, who holds
the post of Accountant General. He
is responsible directly to the commits
sion for the completeness and ac-
curacy of all financial records having
to do with the receipt and disburse-
ment of money and commodities
handed over by Germany.
The position of Mr.. Aud with the
commission is entirely individual, as
he has no connection with the United
States or any other government. His
staff of about 20 Americans comes
under the same classification.
The task of the accountancy depart
ment is one of the most difficult of
the commissions work. To strike its
daily and monthly balances. it must
deal with ships, livestock. Abandoned
war material. rolling stock, coal and
coke, dyestuffs. and a score of other
commodities, as well as the actual
cash payments of German gold
marks. /. When the balance sheet has
been tailed, it is necessary to render
the totals in marks, pounds. francs,
Tires and dollars. The commodity
valuations have been made in nearly
all the currencies of Europe, as well
as in dollars.
When currency payments are
made. they are Immediately convert
ed to gold through the dollar rate,
with roughly four marks equalling
one dollar. The accountancy de-
partment receives the New York ex-
change rate for 90 or 25 countries by
cable each day, and with these rates
as a basis. daily, weekly and monthly
PARTIES between the various cur
rencics are established. At the end
of each month a complete report is
made, showing the amount Germany
has paid to date, and how it has been
distributed among the Allies.
Much of this work is done by the
American staff. One computes the
value of coal from the Ruhr; another
determines the worth of livestock in
francs, dollars and pounds; another
reduces locomotives to marks and
then to Tires, while another one
quotes ducks. geese and chickens in
dollars. guilders and crowns.
At the end of 1922, the account
ancy department under Mr.. Aud had
whipped the miles of figures into an
Ineligible report. showing that Ger
many had turned over to the Allies a
grand total of s1.9S2. 100000. OF this
sum s454.000,000 was in cash; $685.
100000 in commodities. and $685.
100000 in state properties of ceded
territories.
The ships she had parted with
totalled two and half million gross
tons, valued at s177.0O0.000. OF
rollingsto she had delivered 4,552
locomotives and $4,000 wagons,
worth 1907 100000. The livestock in
cluded $4,000 head. exclusive of
poultry. This was given a valuation
of s40,000.000. The coal. coke and
Ignite delivered exceeded 4S million
tons. worth s237 900. 900. the dyestuffs
totalled $4,000 tons, valued at $1T-
100000. and the miscellaneous COM
modities too numerous to classify.
were determined to be worth $1s4,-
1000.
The selection Of Mr.. Aud to head
the important accountancy bureau of
the reparations commission was
made after he had spent several
months in Paris as assistant financial
advisor to the Peace Commission.
Although only AZ years of age, he
had served a number of years in the
United States navy. and was given
the task OF organizing the cost and
financial control maintained by the
navy department in about 100 large
industrial plants doing work for the
before the Armistice.
When asked to take a post with the
reparations commission. he resigned
from the navy to accept.
The inter-allied accountancy organ
ization now has bureaus in Berlin.
Essen, Weisbaden, Budapest and
Upper Silesia. The Paris staff con-
sists of about 100 persons, made up
of Americans, French, English,
Italian and Belgians.
The commodities section Is headed
by w. L. Quillinan of Cohoes. N. Y,
formerly of the U. S. Army Liquida-
ton Board in Paris. The bureau at
of E. w. Erne, formerly in the ac-
countancy department of the Penn
sylvania railroad. The branch set up
at Berlin to handle the task of
regulating German war material
sold for reparations was until recent
ly directed by Captain Oliver K.
Badgley of New York.
Another American with the com
mission is Royal Tyler of Boston, in
charge of the personnel department
under the General Secretary. He
also acts as advisor to the commits
sion when matters arise concerning
the art treasures of the late Austro-