[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]
Sia,—I notice from your last issue that you are greatly troubled, over the threatened advance of the ]French into the Ruhr. Your criticism, no doubt, voices public opinion in England. Since it seemed to the world perfectly natural that Germany should hold France by the throat in 1871-73 until her indemnity was paid, one wonders why France should not be willingly conceded the same remedy in collecting her debt against Germany. The practical wisdom of the move at this Juncture may be open to some friendly doubt ; but between predictions of dire disaster on the one hand and the great expectations formed by the French on the other, a detached mind is rather inclined to think that both may be wrong. Surely the United States in particular, and England also, have done what they could to stiffen German resistance and ensure failure.
As a friend of France I should be the last to contend that France had never exposed herself to criticism ; but I venture to suggest that criticism of her is now being applied in the wrong place. If I thought myself entitled to criticize France, it would not be to reproach her for taking military steps to secure payment of what her debtor in four years had made no serious effort to pay. My criticism would be against the insistence by France upon an amount which was unwarranted by the negotiations that brought about the Armistice and which all unprejudiced judges consider far in excess of the ability of Germany to pay. For this attitude your own Lloyd George and our own Wilson are largely responsible.
As France, at the recent Paris Conference, seemed finally to have agreed with England and Italy in recognizing that fifty billion gold marks would be the sum that could be ulti- mately collectable, it is a pity that France should have attached to her acceptance of this sum certain conditions, such as the cancellation of the Inter-Allied debt, which at this time are quite impossible of fulfilment. If the United States shall continue obdurate (unreasonably so, as it seems to many of us) in her attitude as to a cancellation or modification of the Inter-Allied Debt, that fact hardly furnishes a reason why France and England should not make the best settlement possible of German Reparations without regard to us. If France cannot collect reparation money from Germany, it is rather clear that she will never be able to pay her debt to the Allies. But the suggestion that she must refuse to reduce her claim to receive an impossible sum until and unless she can at the same time be allowed a reduction or cancellation of the debt she owes her Allies is perhaps more calculated through irritation to stiffen than to soften them in theh demands.
With England's difficulties in meeting the views of America's representatives I have the greatest sympathy, and for her splendid effort to pay to the last farthing the greatest admir- ation, tempered by some doubts as to its wisdom.—I am, Sir,
CHAS. ROBINSON SMITH.
40 Rector Street, New York.
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