Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-04
Schacht Compromise on Offer
Is Seen as Session Re-
opens Today.
SO. YEAR PERIOD URGED
FOR PAYMENT OF DEBTS
Complete Settlement With France
and Belgium in 81 Years
May Be Urged.
BY LELAND STOWE.

BY Radio to The Star.
PARIS, April 4-There is strong rea-
son to believe that the German dele
! gates to the committee of experts on
reparations returning to the conference
meetings today after weeks recess
have arrived determined to bargain as
shrewdly as possible the next two weeks
or more, but intending in the end to
compromise on the lowest figure which
they can bring the allies to accept.
Likewise it may be taken as extremely
probable that the final settlement will
not be far below the basic figures"
which Owen D. Young. as chairman of
the committee. submitted in a memo
rsndum to DR.. Hjalmar Schacht, head
of the German delegation, at the last
session of the experts before Easter.
Significance OF Offer.
Mr.. Young's memorandum stressed
that the figures given did not consti-
tute an allied offer to Germany, but
rather an exposition of what the allies
would say they must get from Germany
to meet their requirements.
This memorandum was intended by
Mr.. Young to serve as basis for a
frank discussion of the figures when the
experts reconvened today. This meet
ing, originally set for II am, has been
postponed until 3 pm. out of respect to
the late Ambassador Herrick and also
to permit Mr.. Young and j. P. Morgan
to act as pallbearers at the funeral
services.
Thus, when the Young committee re-
assemblies, Mr.. Youngs memorandum Of
basic figures will require the immediate
focusing Of all the delegations on an
effort to fix the annual amounts Ger
many shall pay, and the number of
years over which she will pay them. In
this connection it is learned that the
basic figures in the memorandum en-
visage rising and falling in she scale
of the annuities over a period of So
years which would not exceed an aver
age annuity of 1000, 900 marks
$500, ,000, ,000) and would In all proha-
hility be nearer l SOC, ,000, 900 marks
f$450. .000, ,000) for So years. ,:sx
It Is stated on high authority that
what might be called Mr. Youne's ten
tative outline OF the allied position
calls for synchronizing Germany,s an
nuities with the war debt payments
to the United States and Great Britain
and provides that the amounts to be
paid to the French and Belgians on
account of reparationS should be COM
pletely paid by Berlin within 81 years.
The memorandum places the figure for
reconstruction costs at between 10000
000. 600 and $4,000, 600 900 francs tsl, :.
600 100000 and $4,000, 900 ,000), but it
is not certain whether this includes
Belgiun's reparation claims.
Payments Drop After 81 Years.
According to Mr.. Youngs rock bot
tom figure. once the reparations are
paid on after 81 years, Germany's an
nuities for the rest of the 58-year period
would not be more than l 500 000. 900 or
possibly 1000 900 900 marks ($375, ,00O,- =
900 or $400, ,000,0 ,000).
It is also learned from an authorita-
tive source that the German delegates,
even though not yet willing to admit
that such figures as those of the
Young memorandum are acceptable,
regard them as the first practical busi-
nesslike figures which the discussions
have SO far produced In other words.
DIR. Schacht and his colleagues after
week Of communication with the
Reich authorities will come to the con-
ference table today convinced that the
figures given to them by Mr.. Young
last week to ponder over offer a genu-
Inc basis for negotiations
This attitude, clearly evident in Ger
man circles last night, is in marked
contrast to the wholesale pessimism
prevalent in German headquarters for
a whole week before the recess was
taken. Thus there appeared to be some
cause for the reasonable optimism OF
which the American delegates give evi-
dence that the Germans will finally
come to terms.
The allied experts did not fail to
take note of DR.. Schachts recent state
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