Account don, Paris, Feb. 3.
2.5 a joint sitting of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies to-day, the Premier, M. Briand, inaugurate ed a two days' debate on reparations. In the course of his speech, the Premier said "Gentlemen: the Government offers you the explanations which are your due regarding the agreements Just reached between the Allies. You are aware of the circumstances in which the negotiations were begun. In the midst of the difficulties besetting our effort to harmonize in a brief space of time the views of all the Allies, we endeavoured, backed by the authority which your confidence gave us, to secure the adoption by the Paris Conference, within the frame-work of the Versailles Treaty, of the programme which the Chamber had approved by a large majority.
"The immediate motive of the Paris Conference was the necessity for an understanding on the disarmament of Germany, the near Eastern problem and the reparations question.
French Forbearance, "As regards the disarmament of Germany, the French Government, which could have, on and after January J, 1921, demanded the application of the penalties fixed at Spa, preferred a clear and full discussion of this question with the Allied Powers. The French Government, desired that the moderation which it has shown all along in the pursuit of its indisputable rights should be palpably demonstrated to the satisfaction of its Allies.
"The Military, naval and air experts have been instructed to draw up a list of Germany's grave infractions of her obligations, and to propose the most effective measures for the execution of disarmament in every particular, including sur-and destruction of surplus material, and dissolution of the irregular organizations established under various names and guises.
"This question having been settled to our entire satisfaction, the Conference took up the question of reparations. The time had come to allay the uncertainty un-denying this infinitely complex problem.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.