Evening star., 1924-01-14
EXPERTS At WORK
ON GERMAN MONEY
STAB|L|z|NG PLAN
Dawes Presides at First Ses-
sion in Paris-0pening
Devoid of Pomp.
BARTHoU SAYS ALLIES
GLAD U. S. REPRESENTED
Reparations Body Expects No
Miracle, But Big Step For
ward, He Declares.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
PARIS, January 14.-With Brig.
Gen. Charles G. Dawes presiding,
leading business men and fnanciers
of the United States, Great Britain,
France, Belgium and Italy, sitting as
a board Of directors and creditors, be-
gan to examine the assets and liabili-
ties of Germany, their nations
debtor, with view to saving some
thing from the ruins Of the most stu
pendous bankruptcy in the history OF
the world.
strictly business and no politics"
was the motto under which these
representative men of the leading
nations OF the old and new worlds
assembled.
"The success Of this committee"
said Gen. Dawes. in opening the
meeting, depends chiefly on whether
in the public mind and conscience of
the allies and of the world there is
an adequate conception Of the great
disaster which faces each ally and
Europe unless common sense is
crowned king"
Stresses Need OF Unity.
Gen. Dawes stressed the value Of
unity of command in war to show the
bad effects Of present conditions.
I'VE had come to know" he said,
"in common with the citizens of all
nations that at last that lack OF power
TO agree upon common attitude and
common action had brought all Europe
TO most critical and dangerous situa-
tion. This Is no time to mince words"
He continued by discussing the
impenetrable and colossal fog bank
Of economic opinion based upon
premises Of fact which have changed
50 rapidly as to make them worth
less even II they were In agreement"
paWes afesr s6pt f
proceed to the study of the stabiliza-
tion of the German currency as the
first item on the addenda, adjourned
until afternoon.
Welcome by BArthou. -s-----
Louis Barthou, president Of Che
reparation commission, in welcoming
the members OF the committee said:
I'VE do not expect from you the
unlooked-for miracle Of solution
OF the reparations problem. but we
hope with sincere confidence that
your competency, experience and au-
thority will concentrate to hasten the
result toward which we are bending
all our efforts
The balancing of the German bud
get and the sterilization of the cur
rency OF Germany, two problems
bound together. are first and essential
conditions Of reparation settlement
Itself.
Germany received from the treaty
the right TO be heard. You shall hear
her in the form which appears most
useful to you. We eagerly desire for
the common good that its govern
mental administrat tions will facilitate
your task, SO arduous and so complex.
Glad United States Represented.
THE entire commission is reioiced
At the cooperation American citi-
zens have brought to the allied ex-
perts. The committees conclusions
will receive from this increased au-
thority. l pray, in the name Of the
reparation commission that Gen.
Dawes will accept the presidency Of
our work. His tried competence and
energy will greatly help in bringing
it rapidly to a successful conclusion"
The first meeting was absolutely
lacking in any of the military display
which marked the conference at Spa,
San Reno and Genoa. Not a single
soldier was in evidence.
Gen. Dawes spoke of the commit
fee as practical men free from po-
litical pressure" who, realizing that
the house is afire, propose to find
some water to put it out" without
further use of mathematics involving
the fourth dimension"
Speaks Only for Self.
Gen. Dawes praised the reparation
commissions idea in giving the com
mittee of experts a free hand, and
made the comment that the commit
tee was not asked to determine the
legality of the Ruhr occupation or
''the political effect Of this or that act
of common sense"
He reminded the committee that he
could speak neither for the American
government nor for the American
people.
but as an Individual" he asserted,
Il read in shame and humiliation the
outpouring of the American national
istic demagogues who undertake to
lecture Europe in order to lift them
selves into some petty office or to
maintain their political popularity"