Evening star., 1923-03-11
France Will Seek to Merge
Aims With Belgium, But
"More Lies Beyond"
END OF GREAT BRITAIN'S
!, ISOLATION SEEMS NEAR
No Relaxation Without Payments
Premier Poincare's Word to
Foreign Office.
by Cable to The Star and New York Tribune.
CopyriCht 1923.

by Gable to The Star and New York Tribune.
Copyright, 1915.
PARIS, March 10.-The Franco
Belgian conference. which will open
at Brussels Monday, begins to loom
as Of infinitely greater Importance
from tho political point OF view for
what may follow 1t rather than for
any Of the immediate conclusions to
which 1t may give rise. The con-
ference will, however, bid for the at
tention not only of Germany, but of
England and the United States-pro-
vided the last two are waiting for a
propitious occasion to concern them
selves with Europe's greatest econ
omic war, which is now in a state of
temporary deadlock.
Premier Poincare goes to Brussels
in an effort to merge Frances precise
aims and objects In the Ruhr with
those Of Belgium. This will not be
altogether easy, since there still is
considerable divergence of opinion be-
tween the two allies as to how best
to deal with Germany once her re-
sistance cracks.
~No Relaxatfono Policy.
Premier Poincare's instructions to
the foreign office specialists and to
Marquis de Lasteyrie, minister of
finance, who are working out a plan
for eventual settlement OF the repara-
tion problem, are: No relaxation of
sanctions in the Ruhr and the Rhine
land without actual payments from
Germany. Premier Theunis of Bel
GUM, the Tribune understands, agrees
with this in principle. though he is
willing to modify the term actual
payments"
Belgium would be satisfied with an
assurance Of payments" under some
form OF International guaranty or
loan operation. Allowing for conces-
sions being made on both sides, since
both are deeply involved in the Ruhr
encirclement and exploitation plans.
this means that q middle ground may
easily be chosen and the joint aims
of the two allies announced publicly,
first, for the purpose OF dispelling the
German propaganda plant that the
Ruhr operation is without any clear
purpose except that Of annexation,
and, second. to provide a basis on
which Germany can expect to begin
negotiations, once she decided to ask
for them.
Renewed q. s. Interest Likely.
More important still. however, is
the opening that will be left for full
inter-allied negotiations, once the
French and Belgians have placed
themselves on public record in this
matter before the world. Renewed
interest in Washington might also be
forecast.
The whole situation might be re-
garded as somewhat analogous to
that which obtained at the time Of the
German peace feelers put forth in
1915, with the world war in full prog
ress and President Woodrow Wilson in
the off1ng as a possible mediator. On
that occasion the allies decided to
publish for Wilson's benefit their war
aims, which had the purpoe OF avoid
ing the necessity of stopping to agree
among themselves in case the Kaisers
government had made concrete pro-
poeals through President Wilson.
From the administration angle so
far as the occupation Is concerned,
the two allies agreed In advance to
join civil administration of both the
Ruhr and the Rhineland, placing the
entire occupied area under one Office
tho interallied Rhineland high COM
mission. This involves extension of
the railroad agreement between the
French and British authorities 80
for cd fn
concerned, and opens the way for a
general agreement az to mutual re-
lations between the British In the
occupied area and the Franco-Bel-
gian forces in the rest of the terri
tory that has been taken over.
Ends British Isolation.
Exchanges of views from London
and Paris anu Brussels already have
been held. and this means the ending
of British isolation in the Rhineland
and, following the Brussels meeting.
there will be serious negotiations to
this end.
Bonar Law, it Is understood, will
assume no responsibility for tho
Ruhr operation. although for trade
reasons Great Britain Is agreeable
to resuming administrative co-opera-
tion in the Rhineland through the
medium of the high commission, from
participation in the activities of
which she has recently been abstain
ing as result of tho isolation Of
the Cologne area.
Two openings will thus be made
within a few days through which
Britain can gracefully. though with
out compromising herself. resume CO.
operation with her oontineptal alliea.
AGREEMENT APPROVED.