The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-08-16
LAST OBSTACLE
 TO DAWES PLAN
 IS ELIMINATED
It Is Finished, Say Ger mans After Accepting
 French Proposal
By CHARLES M. MCCAIN x.s, o..aI VH,ina Tn. Herald.

LONDON. Aug. 1B.-Germany has decided to accept the French proposal for evacuation of the Ruhr within a year, thus removing the last serious obstacle which had threatened the sue cess of the London conference on the Dawes plan.,
 After news oftthe German acceptance had become known, the French and Germans conferred lengthy at the Hyde Park hotel.
 Foreign Minister Stresemann, upon leaving the conference with Premier Herriot, merely announced, "It is fin ished," and refused to add to his com ment.
 The French issued a communique which said: :,
 1.-TWO hours of conversation between the Germans and the French have led to the hope of favorable result"
 Germans Look Worried
 As the Germans departed from the conference they wore worried look, but it was obvious that the French were highly pleased. l..
 Both Allied and German delegates made it known Friday night that resolution had been reached and formal announcement is expected by not later than Saturday. The acceptance followed continuous communication between the German delegation here and President Ebert in Berlin. Finally, the Germans received a 1000 word reply from Der lin to the French proposals. This was understood to have been in the nature of counterproposal, but the announce ment of German acceptance indicates that whatever difficulties remain will be removed very shortly.
 Up until the last, the Germans made. desperate efforts to obtain further con- sessions from the French. Chancellor Marx, Foreign Minister Stresemann and Dr. Luther, minister of finance, con ferred throughout the afternoon, co-or- dinating the prolific instructions and observations contained in the reply from Berlin. Afterward, they went to Down ing street, where they saw Premier Macdonald, but the latter refused to yield on the Allied proposals for evacua- tiOn. Ambassador Kellogg participated in this conference.
 The Germans indicated then that if they failed to win concessions from the French and Belgians in later confer ence they would accept the Allied terms. Premier Herriot declined to modify his position and because of the hostile attitude in the French chamber toward conceding anything to Germany, the Allies refused to exert any pressure on Herriot which would invite the de- feat of his government. Seek Written Assurance
 In German circles, it is explained that the Berlin government had objected throughout the day to the fact that Herriot's assurances of doing everything possible. to speed up the evacuation were merely verbal. It is understood that Marx and Stresemann will still urge upon MacD that the French and Belgians should put their assur- ances in writing. If the proposals were clarified by formal correspondence, the Germans argue, it would facilitate the ratification of the Dawes protocols in the Reichstag.
 But despite whatever effort the Ger mans make to modify the French terms, it is felt that in all major points the acceptance i5 conclusive. To support this feeling, well-informed Germans de- clare they believe the conference will be finished by Saturday or Sunday and that the German delegation hopes to leave for Berlin by Monday.