The Monmouth inquirer., 1923-07-26
FRANCE OFFERS TO
REDUCE DEMANDS
Ready to Drop All Immediate
Claims but Payment of 81
Billion Gold Marks.
WAY FOR GERMAN RECOVERY
Wants England to Delay Collection
Paris Would Grant Equal Morato-
rum 70 Berlin, Note Says.
Eliminates Hughes Plan.

Paris.-As a method Of settling the
reparation tangle, Premier Poincare
proposed to Great Britain that France
is ready to withdraw all It's immediate
demands in Germany except the one
for 10000. 0OO. 900 or $4,000. 000. 900 gold
marks-roughly. $4,000. 900 .000-which
Is necessary for reconstruction of the
devastated treas The remainder Of
the debt, so far as France is concern
ed, may be postponed either ten or
fifteen years.
At the end OF that time, according
to the French memorandum. Germany
would be called on to pay the balance
of its obligations and the Allies them
selves could begin to discuss a joint
settlement Of Allied debts.
In other words. France offers to
withdraw a portion Of its claims on
Germany If Great Britain win post
pone demand for collection OF the
French debt for a decade or a decade
and a half.
This offer was sent to London in the
form of a diplomatic communication
at a moment when the British Cabinet
was preparing to submit to France
and Belgium its tentative draft Of an
inter-Allied reply to the German note
OF June 7.
Premier Poincare. undoubtedly with
the full approval of the members OF
his Cabinet. i~nterposed his proposal.
which. although calling on Great Brit
ain to give up It's share of r~eparations
for many years and likewise postpone
collection Of its debt from France, new
ertheless opens the way for a quick
recovery Of the Reich and consequent
sterilization Of European commerce
which France understands the British
desire above everything else ON ac-
count Of the present British economic
situation.
Whether NJ. Poincare consulted
with either Belgium or italy before
submitting this proposal could o be
learned tonight, although there is no
nc doubt these nations have some
thing to say in this connection, espe-
cially Belgium, who always has stress
ed its priority reparation claim, even
above France.
The present state of the negotia-
tons between France and Britain
seems TO be leading to elaboration of
a joint formula advising Germany it
cannot expect either attenuation of the
occupation of the Ruhr or a settle
ment Of ~reparations without abandon
ing it's passive resistance campaign.
However, there still remain differences
between Premier Poincare and Mar
quis Curzon.
The former is willing to accept only
a progressive modification Of the Ruhr
occupation. while Marquis Curzon is
proposing setting up q joint commit
tee to control the Ruhr mines. 1t Is
well known that negotiations directly
tween the French Premier and the
British Foreign Minister are most diff
icult because of the respective per-
sonalities Of the two men. Between
these two Cancellation is not likely to
proceed half as far as 1t is between
the French Premier and Mr.. Baldwin.
DIR. Benes, Czecho-Slovakian For
eign Minister, proposed that Premier
Poincare have a personal meeting with
Mr.. Baldwin at which Marquis Cur
zon should not be present. Such
a meeting is regarded here as a not
unlikely development of the near fu-
ture.
France, it is made clear, would be
willing to cut down the occupation
and exploitation of the Ruhr to a mini
mum, but would not consent to re-
lease this area entirely. There is no
doubt that, under the plan suggested,
Germany would regain this territory
to the extent of allowing its indus
trials to figure largely in the flotation
of loans and in augmenting the gen
erous earning capacity of the Ruhr-
which will be applied to PREPARATIONS
until the first obligations to the Allies
are paid OF.