USVI Public Records

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er hand, Grea® Britain had beon obliged to wage war- abroad and had b22a forced to incur the greatest financial oxpendi- ture. Her naval effort alone had cost cen billion of pounds. GJermany, he ¢on- tinued, ‘‘can pay only in exports. {f she | exported too much to the Allies, it would | mean the rain of the Allied industries. It she exported too much to the neutrals, | it would mean the loss to the Allies of | the neutral narkets. Consaguently the | question of effeciually sezuring payment | of reparations must ba taken up with due account of these facts.’”’” The Brit- | ish Premier insisted npon the nacessity | of real progress at the preseant confar- | egce. This could b 2 accomplishad if the | French Govt. would aceapt the 3oulogne figure as a basis of discussion, that is to | say, six billion pounds in thirty or thirty- | five annuities with iaterest. Certain | things must be iasisced upon,” Mr. | Lloyd George daclared, ‘‘Tne datermi- | nation of Germany’s capacity to pay, 1 the renovation of Germany’s fantastic | budget and the imposition upon her | p2ople of raxes as heavy as those paid by | the Allied People, economize as the Al- | lies have done. The total of the debt | must be fixed and the mode of payment | established then at a meeting similar to that at Spa. the Allies should mzet Ger- many and finally discuss a settlement. Mr. Doymer said that Mr. Lloyd George’s speech did not change his upinion. Count | Storza, thz Italian Foreign Minister, | sivongly favoured the expert programme of the Belgians. He said it would be a vital mistake to depart from the basis at Boulogne. M. Briand then took the flcor. He asserted that France was not asking for the impossibie. French pub- tic opinton was ready to aceept what might reasonablv be collected. but would not accept befora investigation, a one- sided theory that Germany is unable to pay. He favoured the annuities and inquired, "‘Why not fix them now, and then oxamine iermany’s capacity to pay and consider the matter at anoth- er Conterence. Mr. Lloyd George in- sisted it was essential that someihing be lone, for neithar the Allies nor the world could boar further delay. It was then chat the decision was taken tc appoint 3 comnmitiae £ty examin2 the question and | report back to the council., ‘‘Tomorrow will be the decisive day for the Confer- | enc2’’, said M. 3riand to the Associated | Press at he close of a meeting lasting | tour hours, which began under condi- | tions leading many to believa that the | continuance of the Conference was en- | dangered, but which cios -d under some- | what more optimisiic circumstances’’. | This reparations question must be settled | once and for ali before Saturday night’’, | M. Briand declared ‘'Tne positions | taken differ, tut are not irreconcilable. A definite resolution must be adopted | e before this week end. My position is | exactly thatoutlined in my official declar- ation in the Chamber whenI assumed ' S CRUNMIZE AVYiy the Premiership. It was recalled that this declaration was to the effect that France was opposed te fixing a stated - amcunt for the German debt. But fa- voured annuities. Mr. Briand seemed to ~ treat the question of disarmament as of - less importance. saying, ' ‘The-reparations - questirn must be settled first. I only - wish the reparations questions could be - settled as easily as that of disarmament. ~ The question appears likely to be solved . befoie Saturday. The clouds were dark . and heavy today, but ‘he atmosphere is . ciear tonight’’, the Premier concluded. | London, Jany. 27th. —Organized La- - . bour at the National Conference o the | Labour Party and the Trades Union Congress today demanded immediate ac- . tion of tne Government 0o remedy the ' plight brought about by the steadily \ growing unemployment 1n the country, | endorsed a policy which its authors as- | serl wili perinanently remove the cause | of the present industrial depression, and | adjourned until February 23rd, in order | to give the i.abour viembers of Pariia- . ment .opportunity (o press for the de- . ~ sired remedial steps. ''lf we cannot - achieve what this programme suggests . by the coostitutional means we will - addopt some means of extra constitution- al character’’, declared r. Robert Wil- llams, leader of the transport workers . in supporting the resolution. The pro- . posals embodied in the resolution called i for trad: with Russia, restoration of r trade with other coniinenial eountries, ' acessation of wars, stabilization of in- ternational exchange rates, an extension . of credits. organization of transport | system, cessation of the military op- . position and lawless reprisals in Ire- land, state maintenance of unemploy- | ment, a. benefit of {ferty shillings . weekly to each householder, twenty five . shillings weekly to each single man or . woman, over 18 years, with additional allowance to dependents and an under ' employment allowance on the same basis ' to provide for the adoption oi shovciiine, the oroportionate benefit to be ealculated on the tutal days last wee2k. The pro- ' posal ask for a legzl reduction in working hours to forty-tfour weekly dras- . tic reduction .fovertime, tne undertaking '~ of necessary publie work, iocluding . development of roads, railways and . waterways, the withdrawal and restric- . tion of juvenile labour 2nd raisiag of | tae school-leaving age. Govt (raining ' schools for wozren and unemploy<d male . workers, a guaranteed minimu .: housing | programme for five years with safeguards | against unemplosmen: to building trades | unions, the removal of Govt resiriciions | on the expansion of duildinz guilds and . the control of building materials. The ~ resolution covering the conferences pro- posals which was adopted wili be sent to the Prime Minister for consideraiion of " .he members of the Cabinet and all the me nbers of Parliament. Pania Tan 99t A osliztion of she . problem of German reparations was . tentatively reached late today by the Committee of experts appointed by the . Allied Supreme Council. Confidence was . expressed that the Council would ap- - prove the Committee’s plan tomorrow. The proposed scheme provides for the .~ payment- of annuities on a siiding scale of from two billion tosix billion gold- marks over period of probably 42 years also 124 percent ad valorem tax on Ger- man exports. : Dublin, Jan. 28th.—The resignation is . announced of Mr. Roger Sweatman from * the Irish Republic Parliament owing to . what he termed a radical disagreement - with the majority of his fellow members .- on vital matters of policy. Thris is crea- tinga big stir in Dublin. A prominent | Sinn Fein leader today told the Associa ted Press that the resignation meant the . final squashing of the peace movement . in which Mr., Sweatman and Father - O’Flanagan, actihg President of the Sinn . bein, participated conspicuously. London, Jan. 28th.—Mr. Lloyd George, . says the London Times, has sent in- . structions from Paris for the coalition party machinery to be ready for a gen- | eral election in May or June, after in- . troduction of the Budget early in April. | 1t appears, says the newspaper com- | ments, tha' the Prime Minister and . Chancelior of the Exchequer have decid- ~ editis possible to introduce a Budget -of 950,000,000 ounds which would allow considerakle remission o! taxation and ° thus afford a favourable >pp-riunity for appealing to the counrry. Buenous Aires, Jany. 28th.— 'he Bank of Spain and America capitalized at 2,000,000 pesos, closed its doors today The vuspension is attributed 1o the fall ' of Bank of Spain and Paraguay of Asun- cion, whnich was'a creditor of the loeal Bank. Wasninzton, Jany. 29th. —lndirect re- cogaition by the United Scates ot the Republic of Ireland was knocked, out in tne Hous todav ona piinr of orier. During consideration of the diolomatic appropriation representative Vlason, a mezinber of tha Foreign Affairs Commii- tee, offered un amendment providing a salary o: SIO,OOO for a Minster of Ire- land. lastantly hali a doz:n reprzsen- tatives were on their feet and th> chair- man challenzed the vigur of the House to include such na amendman on the ground that it was withoi: auinicicy of the law and that ih:re had b:on no . xe- cutive recognition +* lreland. -'ie point was sustained by Mr. owaer of lowa, presiding. . FOR SALE e “ - Une New Croquet Set. ~pply to : | CAPT. R. D. LUWEI.L, Marine Barracks.