The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-11-03
NEGOTIATIONS
FOR WAR DEBT
TAKEN UP AGAIN
Plans for Final Settlement Be.
tween Germany and Allies
Discussed
CREDIT is RESTRICTED
Committee to Determine Flu.
ture Payments Will Be
Appointed

tween Germany and the allied gov.
eminent for final settlement OF
reparations payments will begin
probably early in December. Pre-.
paratory conversations among the
several powers concerned are pro-
cceding now.
The reparation commission, Gre
ated by the Treaty of Versailles to
determine Cermany's obligations,
will in form at least resume it's
authority. The members Of the
Dawes committee were appointed
by the Commission accepting the
nominees Of the governments. Mr..
Dawes and Mr.. Owen Young were
suggested after much consultation
by Colonel James A. Logan, then
observer on the Commission, after
approval by the State Department.
The American observer now is Ed
ward C. Wilson, first secretary of
the American Embassy.
Involves Billions
Presumably the Commission will
ask his counsel as to who the un-
official American member or men,
mers should be on the Committee
to be appointed to determine future
payments. The discussion upon
this enormous question, involving
perhaps from ten to fifteen billions
of dollars and affecting intimately
the economic life of western Eu-
rope, will probably continue far
into the new year. Members of the
committee will have to consult
their government frequently.
While the terms of reference to
guide the committee have not been
announced, it will try to determine
the limits Of Germany's reparation
indebtedness in the light Of the ex-
perience of the last five years. M.
Poincare's position, it is affirmed
authoritatively, has been misunder-
stood in America. His Chambery
speech was designed to inform Ger
many that France expected enough
reparations to pay French debts in
their totality to the United States
and to Great Britain with enough
besides to assist considerably in
paying for the reconstruction of
| IUS GV0CuAVGU IGKlOHS.
To Organize Policies
Both France and Germany desire
to know where they stand. The
speech is interpreted in French Off
cial quarters to be a recognition of
the validity Of the foreign debts,
with the expression of his desire to
make provision for their payment
and to obtain a balance in hand.
The position of Germany, as it has
been indicated here, is that she is
eager to know what her fixed obi
cations will be, so that she may
organize her national economy to
paying that without the present un-
certainties.
One question which troubles the
German treasury is that of trans
fers. Germany is now paying part
OF the reparations in goods and
part in money. The sending Of
cash abroad is strictly controlled
by the transfer committee. Conse-
quently the German government is
not able to borrow abroad because
it can give no definite promise of
meeting its regular instruments of
interest and amortization. The
transfer committee is on guard at
all exits and might at any time.
in order to ensure the payment of
reparations, forbid the transfer of
cash.
The German contention is under
stood to be that although the gov
eminent IL able to meet it's repara-
ton payments this year, amounting
to CPS millions Of dollars, it is able
to do 80 only by paying in goods az
well as In money. For the future,
II Germany is to be quite free from
q transfer committee and all for
eign control she could not guaran-
tee to pay 500 large an annuity in
coming years as 625 millions of
dollars.