NEWS OF THE WEEK
OUR first two leading articles are devoted to the two principal events of the week, namely, the presen- tationlast Saturday of the British Note to France on the subject of the repayment of the French Debt to this country, and the resumption of the session of Parliament on Tuesday. We need only chronicle the fact that the new British. Note adheres in principle to the famous Balfour Note. We only demand to be paid by foreign countries, whether ex-enemy by way of reparations, or ex-ally by way of debt repayment, sums. equal to those we are paying to America.. This will amount to a great reduction upon what is legally due to us from France and the other Allies. We feel that it represents an irre- ducible minimum below which no British Government will be able to go. Thus it was somewhat disquieting to hear that French opinion was inclined to accept the Note as a "basis for negotiations "—or, in Other words, for whittling down. Later information, however, suggests that the proposal will be definitely rejected, and if this is indeed so, it will create a difficult situation. We trust, however, that the more optimistic view expressed in our first leading artiele'will prove well founded. _
