M. Doumer, the French Minister of Finance, came to London
at the end of last week to discuss with the Chancellor of the Exchequer the refusal of the French Government to ratify the provisional agreement for the distribution among the Allies of the first £50,000,000 which Germany has paid in gold. The very useful Economic Review, which surveys the Foreign Press, shows that French public opinion is much excited over this agreement and that M. Briand's Cabinet is in danger. France and Belgium are understood to have received already payments in kind to a value exceeding the cost of their armies in the Rhineland, whereas Great Britain has received very little. It was therefore agreed, provisionally, that a considerable portion of the first instalment of the German indemnity should be assigned to this country. We shall not quarrel with our Allies aver a sum of money which is very small in comparison with our loans to France or the American loans which we guaranteed on her behalf. But it is a pity that there should be any public disputing over such questions.
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