Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-07-14
ENGLISH PREMIER
To FRAME REPLY
TO GERMAN NOTE
France and Belgium Urged
to Act With London in
Public Speech of Stanley
Baldwin /

LONDON, July 12.-By the AS.
sociated ess.)-Great Britain has
Informed France and Italy that she
is ready to assume the responsible.
ity of preparing the draft of a re.
ply to the German PREPARATION note.
The reply will be submitted to
the allies with the least poss BILE de.
lay in the hope that they viii agree
to its terms.
Announcement to this effect was
made by Prime Minister Baldwin in
a statement to the house of com
mons today on Great Britain's rep
aration policy.
The British government, he said,
invites the sympathy Of the allies
and of all interested states for the
proposal, which aims solely at the
pacification of Europe and the re.
covery of the exhausted world.
Mr.. Baldwin failed to state what
the British proposals will be in the
note the government intends fran.
| ing, nor did he say anything in re.
| gard to an international commits.
sion 10 examine into Germany's
capacity to pay.
Effective Means Sought
Premier Baldwin in his statement
In the interests alike of the powers
said it could not be made too clear,
| concerned and any who might hope
to profit by exploiting the differ.
ences between them, that the sole
ground of divergence was as to
the best effective means of reallz.
| ing the ends which were vital to
all. These ends were the payment
Of reparations and the recovery of
the security of Europe. To secure
these ends, he said, the allies have
grudged nothing in the past, nor
will they grudge anything in the
| future"
This responsibility" he went on,
lis acknowledged and shared in
J equal measure by the allies, but de.
wolves especially on the French and
| British nations. We are as de.
termined as any of our allies that
Germany shall make PREPARATIONS
for the damages done in the
great war to the fullest extent 'of
| her capacity. We have never wa.
vered on that point. The govern.
| ment is conscious that, as a busi1
ness nation, if we ask Germany to
pay in excess of her capacity, we
shall not succeed.
eve are firmly convinced that
measures which would result in tnd
ruin of Germany would be fatal I'd
this country, our allies, and the
whole of Europe. The allies are
| obtaining less PREPARATIONS than be
fore the occupation of the Ruhr and
these have to be exacted at the
price of dislocation of the German
economic system and probably this
future collapse of that system.
Opinion Grows Sensitive
"Opinion throughout Europe and
in Great Britain is becoming more
sensitive to these conditions, with
alarm at their continuance. The re.
coVery of the. world is in danger.
Peace is at stake. Peace cannot be
secured until three questions ara
settled; first, the payment of repa.
rations; second, settlement of the
inter-allied debts, and, third, the se'
curity Of a pacified Europe.
From the beginning, we have
made it clear that, in our opinions
the occupation of the Ruhr was not
calculated to produce the maximum
amount of reparations payment,
Many. of the consequences which
Wpra articinata6 nro in tho oo11rcA
of fulfillment. Germany herself ap,
pears to be moving fast toward ecol
nomic chaos"
Dealing with the present situat
ton in the Ruhr, the prime minister
said indefinite occupation by ono
country Of the territory Of another
in time of peace was regrettablej
and an honorable end should be
found as soon as possible.
The proposals set forth in the re'
cent German note were Inadequate.
he admitted, but they should be eX
plored and examined, not ignored.
1--WE shall submit a reply with the
least possible delay to our allies for
their consideration and remarks" he
announced, land we INDUCED in the
hope that we may be able to arrive
at agreement with them on the
terms. What the exact nature Of
the reply should be it would be pre4
mature to discuss at the present
stage.
I'm formulating these views, his
majesty's government are not with.
out hope that they will be express
ing the allied sentiments as well as
our own. We do not believe that in
principle we are widely separated, il
at all, from them. Divergence OF
method should not be incapable Of
resolution