The Reparations Deadlock After arduous deliberations, which took no account
of the Whitsun holiday, the representatives of the creditor nations agreed on Tuesday upon the apportionment of Reparations annuities. Seldom has there been a less edifying spectacle than the exhibition of stubborn national selfishness presented in the succeeding phases of this so-called Experts' Conference. Besides M. Poincares insistence, in the first place, that the experts should not have a free hand—and therefore should not be fulfilling the function of experts—the chief stumbling-block has proved to be the Belgian claim on account of-the depre- ciated marks left in Belgium._ This claim can hardly be said to come under the terms of reference at all. The trouble is that the French_ delegation, while ostensibly coming round to the Spa percentages, as modified by the financial agreement of 1925, has let it be known that France—and very likely Italy as not endorse any final report which does not provide for the Belgian claim. * * * *
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