M. Herriot made his statement on the London Confer- ence
in the French Chamber on Thursday, August 21st. lie took the bOld line that he was there not. by s.ny means as an apologist but as -the bearer of very substantial .; advantages. He was interrupted noisily by both the ;• Communists and the4extrethe Right, lint on: the--whole he. had a very favourable reception. lie said that he was , aware that he would be attacked because he had proposed, the principle of arbitration in regulating the payments in kind by Germany. No doubt that principle modified the power of the Reparations Committee, but he was persuaded that the result would be advantageous to France.. He had lieeri accused of letting 'the, French case for the occupation of the Ruhr go by default, but as a matter Of fact that ..problem had dominated the negotiations from first to last. He had to choose between isolated action and the re-establishment' of the Entente. He had decided in favour of the Entente; and he now• appealed to Parliament to confirm his choice. - As for inter-Allied debts, they would be considered at a special Conference for Which the Government was carefully pre- paring. Security would be consideied at another Con- ference. His own opinion was that in this matter France ought to take the first step.
