Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-11-05
FRENCH PREMIER
Continued from Pace onel


ambiguity on these matters IN M
best interests of France and ethSR
allies and associated" Wheneyer M
used the word capacity" the pre-
mier always placed the word Pres
emit" before'it. TN
In his speech M. Poincare a alk
with what he called 'Gefrnanys Dfa&
zen propaganda attempt" to bring
about Anglo-Saxon pity by isgui1L
illustrated leaflets showing she had
paid in cash and kind to an amount
Of $4,000. OOO, 900 gold marks. ne
quoted the PREPARATION COMMISSIONS x
statistics putting the amount phid.at
under nine billion gold markss oefu
which France. he said, had, only re- (
cesved pa, 900 900 net above the en-. z
penses of the army Of occupation
and advances. ia.
With a SEEMING touch of scorn NJ q
Poincare dismissed the British NOTE Z.
with reference to an independent
Rhineland by remarking that he wa6 ,
unable to grasp the reasoning ofFit.yf
which appeared to him contrary to-
the principles Of the rights of peo-
pies. f''
I'VE never promised to protect the >
German constitution against the Ger-ie
mans, nor even the unity Of the
Reichs. and the initiative taken BY
the Germanic statesfdo not excuse
the allies from observing toward one
another the treaty they signed" he
declared. 80
After the usual introduction re-
counting the part played in the war !
by the troops Of this locality, N. Poin- :
care said:
at is now more than four years
since Germany solemnly undertook at
Versailles to repair the damage she :,
| caused. She accepted the figure Of her
/ debt as determined by the comfmiseibh' r
| on reparations and agreed to give this"
commission an order for 100 billion
gold marks as the minimum Of her
guarantee. But once the signatures
| were given. her only effort has been,
to avoid paying. ,-a.''s'
"While pretending to have made
sacrifices since the treaty and to have q
paid the Allies large sums. Germany
| has found money for shameless prop :
uganda in the Anglo-Saxon countries, ;
| as is illustrated by leaflets distributed
showing mines, locomotives, ships,
/ coke. coal, horses, cows and pigs and.
facing them, rows of bags OF gold (
representing their value. These mar
velous pictures were intended to prove
that Germany had paid her creditors
| $1,000, 900 gold marks. - y
1.-THE leaflets falsely add that Ger :
many, in addition, offered to pay 800
billion gold marks and conclude, Can
common sense demand more?''' - /.
| Fortunately, the premier continued, I
the reparation commission exists and /.
its conscientious investigations showed
the total paid to the end Of June. 1929. :
was s,849.913.000 gold marks, Of /;
which 6,29S. o0S.000 was cash for di-
vision among the Allies. France had
received in cash and kind, including
armistice deliveries and the value Of .
| the Sarre mines, 2,152, $4,000 gold.
marks, from which must be deducted
| 1.90S, 436, 900 for the cost Of occupa-
ton and advances. 80 that there res,
manned only a little more than 244.000.-,
| Compare that with what we paid In
1870" the premier exclaimed. ", - :
During this time all the French and
Foreigners visiting the Ruhr, said NJ.
{ Poincare, had been astounded by the
colossal expenditure for German con-
! structionsS in the Ruhr-factories.
country houses for the wealthy and
workers homes. The German state.
had been running itself, bpt allowing
its citizens, particularly the great I'm,
dustrialists, to enrich themselves With
| out serious effort to make them pay an
equitable contribution toward national
/ reconstruction. - -
| sYet," continuer NJ. Poincare. eft
! IL after this self-willed Bankruptcy
that we have been invited from sew
| eral quarters to revise the Gerr1an
| debt, just as II that debt had not
been definitely fixed by application
of the treaty, and as II It depended
\ on the constitutionality of the
| French government to, reshapet the
diplomatic convention accepted. by.
| both its chambers. We therefore have
| had to take our precautions that none
! should seek to- despoil us Of orr
| pledge before total payment, and that
| in the expert investigation to which
the reparatiop commission proceeds
with a view to estimating Germanys
| present capacity, there should be no
reconsideration by some indirect way,
of the settled amount of e ellbdt. -
I'VE have been firm in dissipattne !.
beforehand any ambiguity on these,
| points in the interests of our rela- :.
F., tions with our allies and associates.
In accepting the principle of this ex-
pert inquiry we had given them. with.
all our heart, evidence of friendship:
| but we Were naturally decided to
keep ourselves within the framework.
of the treaty before, during and after
the work of the experts. "
Even in estimating the present /.
capacity 1t will be desirable that the
experts search with. the utmost care
the real conditions under the. raks
of misery with which the Reich seeks
to cover itself.
at is evident that before making
regular payments Germany will have :
to reform her finances, establish a
healthy money and rat herself N a
q 70 70 g..