Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-24
PROCEDURE PROVES
KNOTTY PROBLEM
French and German Are
Likened to Boxers in Rep
arationS Discussions.
BY LELAND STONE.


By Radio TO The Star.
PARIS, February 23-If there hac
ben any doubt about the knottiness oil
the reparations problem, this second
week of the young committees laborS
has demonstrated forcefully that liqui-
dating the world war is man SileC
job. Hardly had the German delega-
ton rounded out a detailed GiSserta-
ton of Germany's financial economic
situation when the experts struck the
first snag.
There was an immediate divergence
OF opinion as to where the experts
should go from there. A subcommittee
OF two was appointed and enlarged to
five and authorized to iron out the
question of procedure" The term, as
is self evident, is a vague one. 1t failed,
however, to screen fully the fact that
the French and Germans are already
sponsoring different methods.
Procedure Is Basis.
The reich's delegates are jockeying
and angling for further preparation of
ground for future discuSsionS-asking
particularly serious consideration of the
Importance of the present Dawes trans
fer clause in relation to the reparations
payments. On the other hand, the
French argued strongly for the swift
approach TO the main subject: That OF
the amount of annuitieS Germany
should pay.
Both parties have bargained stub
bornly to gain point, with the Ger
mans winning a technical advantage.
1t was apparent that the French were
anxious to force the Germans into the
open, where they might be compelled to
state in fat figures what annuity the
German experts will AK for.
The first move in the great interna-
ttonal financial chess game now being
played in the conference rooms of the
Hotel George V. here is as obnoxious to
the Germans as it is desired by the
French. In fact, thus far in the con-
ference the Franeo-German delegates
may be likened to two boxers, each re-
spects the others skill, and therefore
sparring neatly in the hope of getting
the opponent into a position where
he is forced to betray his punch. II
anything the German footwork-which
means headwork-seems to have had
slightly the better of things. But in
the process the German delegation has
the process the German delegation has
as one of its trump cards.
Gilbert Report Discounted.
There is no Disgusting the fact that
the Germans are dedicated to combat
the general conception that the eX-
perts' work should enable the abolu-
ton of the transfer committee which
has assured the protection of German
currency during the past four years by
enabling Berlin to make payments Ill
kind instead of in cash. The German
argument is that the country's economic
prosperity is not nearly as secure as
GiIbert's last report indicated. That it
is conceivable the time might come
when without the transfer OF ma
chinery the German payments would
be jeopardized, perhaps be impossible.
And that because of this Germany Is
unwilling to accept full responsibility
for the continuing payments ION her
own
Long and intricate data can be cited
pro and con on this subject and it
Germany's transferable capacity" is
gone into, it doubtless will.
For the Germans, this would be an
advantage If only because 1t will delay
getting down to the unpleasant business
of talking cash." Thus 1t is already
clear that the international horse
trade" which phrase is frequently used
to describe the proceedings, will be pre-
ciSely that in characteristics and that
the vast amount of pickering is in store
from now on In this one week the con-
ference has struck sufficient rocky rid
ing to indicate that more ana per-
haps more serious jolts still lie ahead.
(Copyright, 1920