OCR Text |
Show Impossible to Pay Even Part of French Indemnity, Dr. Dernberg Wrjtes BERLIN, May 23. fBy the Associated Associ-ated Press) Under tho caption, "The Dying Peace Treaty," Dr. Bernhard Dernburg, former minister of finance, in an article in the Tageblatt, dealing with the report that France will demand de-mand that Germany shall pay in reparation rep-aration 125,000,000,000 marks In gold in thirty years as reparation, figures that this amount at compound. interest at five per cent in third annual instalments, instal-ments, would amount to 18,000,000,000 marks annually. Dr. Dernburg holds that even without interest such an amount would be impossible, im-possible, as at the present rate of exchange ex-change It would" be equivalent to one hundred and eighty billion marks in i paper, or more than the entire cost of tho war. It is contended by Dr. Dernburg thati Germany cquld not pay for two years running the annual instalment he men itlons, and he declares that no sensible American would invest in any French loan based on Germany's promise to pay such an amount. He argues that Germany must be guaranteed existence fcciid a chance for development, X oo |