"Business Associate"

The only official voice to utter words relative to the Premiers' Conference in London, which was scheduled to commence on July 16 and which aimed to settle the details of putting the Experts' Report into operation, came from Chancellor Marx.

In a Berlin speech, he said: "It is far from my intention to express an opinion already regarding the London Conference, an invitation to which has not been extended to us yet.* But I am obliged to state that, owing to the agreements made between the Premiers of England and France, many of the hopes pinned on the London Conference seem to be seriously menaced.

"Were the spirit in which Germany understands the report really alive, it would be self-evident to the victorious Nations that Germany, whose economic and National existence are at stake, must finally be admitted to the negotiations as a partner with equal rights. Otherwise, how can the German people make new sacrifices if they feel that once more, as in the fateful June days of 1919, their fate is to be dictated to them by the victorious wielders of power.

". . . The condition which the German Government attaches to the carrying out of the Experts' Report is simply and solely the following:

" 'The Experts' Report must be honestly accepted and executed by all concerned according to its content and spirit.'"

The main object of the Experts' Plan, as contained in their reports, is to substitute business methods for military methods in collecting payments of reparations from Germany--virtually a modification of the Versailles Treaty.

Germany, as soon as the Experts' Plan has started to function, is to be treated more as a business partner of the Allies and Associated Powers than as an ex-enemy State, from which payments have to be forced. There will be control of German finance, of German commerce, of German industry; but none of these can possibly succeed unless German goodwill is shown. Moreover, Germany will have a distinct interest in cooperating with the Allies and their friends, because, through working the Plan, Germany cannot fail to increase her prosperity, which in turn may go far to stabilize the Republic by calming the agitated waters of domestic politics.

In this sense, then, she is to become a business associate of the Allies and Associated Powers in operating the Experts' Plan for the common good of the Nations of the earth.

*It is expected that Germany will be invited to attend the Conference after many perplexing details have been settled by the other representatives, i.e., those from Britain, France, Italy, Japan, the U. S., Belgium, Greece, Czecho-Slovakia, Yugo-Slavia, Rumania, Portugal.