Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-19
GERMAN PAYMENT
HELD IMPOSSIBLE
Campaign for Cancellation
of All War Debts Now
Appears Certain.
RY FRANK II. SINO\DS.

PARIS. January l9-Although sew
eTal weeks have passed since s. Parker
Gilbert prCcipltated a genuine European
sensation by recommending that the
total Of German PREPARATIONS DC fixed,
there is no present Sigu that the dis
cuSSlcn Of this recommendation Will
cease Particularly IL the press ~
Paris ana oi Berlin the debate con-
tnues. while London and Rome follow
il with much evident interest,
The reason for The continuing W.
tali;v 81 this discussion should attract
American attention. FOR what is actu-
ally taking place is that the lines are
being laid down for 8 new and per-
hans the final battle 10 bring about
q union between the two questions OF
German rcparati0uS and interallied
debts And The preparations which are
being made are patiently such as 20
make il next q impossible 10 deal with
rcparat!ons without touching debts.
Maximum Next Year.
The essential facts III the situation
s-c simple Next year the Dawes plan
vii arrive a. the poin, where lie pay
rcnt< by the Germans will touch the
maximum provided namely $625 100000
annually But the Dawes plan made
10 provision as 10 how long these pay
rleNtS were 10 continue. What NAT.
Gilbert actually forcShadowed then was
a decision as 10 the number OF years
Germany WAS 20 pay the fixed mlA.-
mum
BIT here 8 difficulty arises Al once
Under the treaty Of PEACE the tota! o.
German indebtedness was fixed al
So oOc 900 coo SIS a capital sum. TINS
colossal figure represents about seven
times the principal Of the British oeot
= he Jniie0 States now being paio.
~ thn annua! British payments,
vrI-h will shortly reach a maximum
a $4,000 600 and continue Al this
-,7,-,, for nearly bn years. are much
IS than a quarter Of the maximum OF
t,.e German payment. II, then. the
Germans were going 10 get rld OF the
ceb; "a the allies as fixed by the treaty
they would have 70 pay not S62o,O0o,O oO
annually but at least twice as mucn.
G. .hcy would have 20 pay twice as
!-rr
M one seriously believes that the
Germans could pay twice S62o.o0o uoo
annually. fer no one really believes
trey can long continue to pay al ms
rate. Nor does any one seriously be-
'sa,e that Germany can be forced to
60 on paving for a century and
quarter. as would be inevitable II the
SIS 900 900 GOO debt were 10 be hQul-
dated in full.
On the other hand il limit is put
q the length Of German payments and
this limit falls short of century and
q quarter the effect will be to reduce
the sum total Of German Indebtedness.
But. say the French. supported by the
EelgisrS and doubtless b. the Italians,
& would be unfair to reduce The Ger.
nan payments and leave unchanged
the French an6 italian payments TO
Britain and the United States.
Moreover the continental observers
ell are satisfied that the time is COM
ing when. American loans 10 Germany
having reached q huge total. there Will
b. raised the question As 10 whether
Germany is 10 repay these loans or re-
puGiate them and go on with her debt
ravnen;s. That she can do both. nc
one believes But then il Is conjec-
1,lrec that the Americans who nave
Invested IN German loans VIII bring
pressure on their Government 10 ala
them In getting their money back.
French Claim Is Judicial
1t ,la. moment. the French believe
that the government will be ready 10
arree to a reduction Of French. British
and Italian debt payments. balanced oy
q reduction Of German payments on az
count OF reDarations. Thus there VIII
BE- left 70 Germany money 70 pay heT
BORROWINGS from America
The French claim that the total OF
Yeparatiors was fired IN the treaty and
can only be changed by common agree
r1ent Is. therefore. only judicial point.
II is something 10 trade on In the
same fashion, the French occupation OF
the RhineIanc. which can continue
Until 1885. is a bargaining consideration.
The French, Ike all other peoples, see
ira; Germany Will not and cannot be
made 10 60 on paying huge reparations
contributions for many years longer.
Certainly, not after the occupied re-
giOns are evacuated
All French p0IIcy Is concentrated
upon csshing IL the present French
mortgage, the points o. advantage in
the treaty, for reduction Of the debt
France owes America and Britain The
French share % German reparatIons
"a slightly more than one-naD. say
$3.50 900 900 annually. The French
rsrnnents 10 Britain and America viii
average 5000 900 900 under the existing
settlements. which the French are
earring out but have not ratified
France Is. then. perfectly willing 10
have the German account reduced By
800 900 900 annually II the reduction
is balanced by ceot cancelIationS--but
Got otherwise.
The British position IL diaeren. only
20 q degree. The British share The
American conception that the German
PREPARATIONS payments canno, go On IN
definitely, even a. The maximum fixed
by the Dawes plan Like our finAnciera.
the British regard the Dawes plan as
n wholly hgy4fFFF1rv gyFar4egt Argd