Evening star., 1924-07-11

There appears to be more or less
mystery in the attitude of Prime Min
lister Macdonald of Great Britain re-
lection OF reparations from Germany.
Three weeks ago Premier Herriot
of France went to England, where he
spent a day at Chequers. in confer
ence with the prime minister. Then
M Herriot visited Brussels. where he
discussed with the Belgian govern
ment the obstacles raised by England.
Last Monday Mr.. Macdonald went to
Paris. where he was coldly received
maintained an air of cordiality
When he alighted from the train he
was not greeted with cheers, hut
hailed with cries: "Vive la paixw as
II in answer to something England
was doing which would jeopardize
peace.
A formal conference is booked to be
held in London July 16 between Eng
land. France, Belgium and Italy
and possibly the United States"-at
be ironed out, ready for the imme-
date application OF the Dawes plan.
1t Is not believed in Washington
that this country will participate in
any conference, since the American
policy has been declared from the be-
ginning, to keep out OF all such en-
tanglements. The Dawes commission
was chosen for the study Of the situa-
ton because Of our neutral relations
to the whole subject of reparations.
The Dawes plan has been unquali-
fiedly accepted by all the countries
con cerned - including Germany -
which, in itself is conceded to be the
most remarkable triumph Of states
manship in this generation. Then
why must there be so many confer
ences before it is put into operation?
A very prominent Frenchman in
Washington explains the situation !:
Mr.. Macdonald simply blundered. and
is now trying to correct his blunder
1t he cannot get along with the So
ciallstic government now in power in
France. what sort of a government
could he agree with?'
In a speech in the House of Com
mons, following the Chequers con-
ference. Prime Minister Macdonald
undertook to explain that his con-
ferences with Premier Herriot must
not be taken to mean that the inten-
tion was to make any exclusive ar
rangement between any two powers
and that the discussions would be re-
ported TO the prime ministers OF Italy
and Belgium, to whom they were
anxious that no decisions should be
reported as having already been
taken"
In answer to Lloyd George, Mr..
Macdonald said that certain obli-
cations imposed on Germany by the
experts report (the Dawes commits
sion's) were somewhat outside the
obligations imposed on her by the
treaty of Versailles, and the ques-
ton remained for consultation with
Belgium and Italy, in pursuance OF
place this week end (between Eng
land and France) as to how best to
bring Germany in. to make her a
willing partner in sharing those
obligations. The business at the
interallied conference would be the
Dawes report. AS soon as that re-
port was put into operation they
would go on to discuss and, he hoped,
to arrange, the other outstanding
matters between France and Eng
land, including interallied debts. He
hoped the house would be very clear
about this, as he could assure it he
was perfectly clear himself-there
was going to be no mixing up OF
interallied debt questions with the
putting into operation of the Dawes
report
There is reported to be absolute
agreement between France and Bel
gium, for the one definite con-
clusion was reached that there must