Admittedly the _operati merely. a temporary Money borrowed to meet an emi gency, must be repaid if credit is to be maintained, and the borrowing will not have' been of much use unless, before the time comes for repayment, the borrower has been able to "turn, round" and realize Some of his assets. It is hoped that this can be done in virtue of the wide powers which have been granted to"the Government for cutting down public expenditure. As the tax revenue is rising, there is every reason to suppose that in a few months the financial position will be considerably better, and that the burden of the enormous floating debt will be accordingly lightened, independently of what really' the main question—Germany's ability and willingness to pay reparations. The experts now ing in Paris may succeed. in drawing up a plan for payment by but at present there is not much belief that Germany will accept the plan and that she will carry out her part of the bargain. If she does, so much the better, but Ido not think that either the or the people Al the indica-
Practicaly all Devastated Areas AM. Reibel, Minister for the Liberated Regions, has just made a statement of the work of reconstruction carried out by France, at her own expense, in the war-ravi ed districts of the north and east. There were 3,000,000 claims for compensation, of which 80,000 still" remain for final assess ment. The total amount of the claims is Frs. 140,000,000,000 and is is estimated that the actual pay ments will come to about Fre, 82,000,000,000, of which Frs. 54, 000,000,000 has been paid out up to the present. France consequently has still to find another Frs. 28, '000,000,000 as compensation of her nationals, and she must either turn 'a deaf ear to them or go on borrowing, except in the unlikely event of Germany paying.
As proof of the care with which the claims are assessed, M, Reibel says that 1,170 persons have been prosecuted "for attempted fraud, and that $10 have been convicted.
Nearly all the devastated agi tural Iand has been brought under cultivation again,- except about 110,000 acres rendered useless. crops and fit for nothing but eon-version into forest. Out of 741,098 from houses and build destroyed, 598,000 are how rebuilt, and out of 22,900 destroyed or damaged factories, 20,500 are again in working order.
The Late Baron Monti.
Mr. Jean Carrére, the Rome correspondent of the "Temps," gives an interesting sketch of a person-though quite unknown to had played for more than 30 years, up to his death the other day, a very important part in Italian political lite 0 important, in fact, that in the inner circle he was Feferred to is "the Italian Ambassador to the Holy See." This personage was Baron Carlo Monti, a descendant of a very old Brescia family, good Catholic and an arden patriot. In 1892 he held one of the higher posts at the Ministry of Justice and Cults, Signor Ciolitti, then in office for the first time, noticed Baron Monti and appoint: ed him comptroller of the depart-ant which controls the funds set ie for church purposes. Tt was an extremely difficult and delicate post, the holder of which was constantly called on to act as arbitra. for between Church and State and to settle the innumerable claims that arose in connexion with the abolition of religious congregations. Baron Monti, who combined the virtues of a firat-tute offi with unfailing courtesy, settled all these questions with so much tact that in a few years he secured the confidence of the Italian Government and of the Vatican. As Cath influence extended he was also known to be a sincere
far beyond the limits of his of position, Whenever u—difliculty arose between the temporal and spiritual powers in Rome, Baron Monti was the one and only cha nel of comnnunication. Pope Leo XIN greatly appreciated his services, Pius X frequently ed him and Benedict XV him as a friend, They wore college students together, nal della Chiesa became Pope and Baron Monti came to see him for the first time after his election, the new Pope would not let him kneel but kissed him on both rusted Ambassador to the Pope.
Tt soon became Known at the Vatican that Baron Monti could see the Pope whenever he liked, and Unis gave him a unique position, He was in reality, though not name, Ballan Ambassador to the Holy See. He had to contend with 8 good many' difficulties during the war, At tim volutions. between the Qui Vatican became extremely uirained, but, thanks to Baron Monti, nothing serious happened, Baron Monti possessed the tact, patience and Tength of view characteristic of the Vatican diplomacy, and as the Italian Government hud confidence in him and gave him a free hand, he always managed to come tow settlement acceptable to both Tt will not be easy to replace him, and yet somebody must found to maintain communication between the Italian Governm and the Vatican. Soon after the resumption of relations between France and the Holy See, _torritorial concessions to the Holy See were discussed in Ttaly, and it was even asserted that the' two powers had come to an understanding. Baron Monti had no illusions this score, Ie knew that the Vatican, with all eternity before it, could not accept any "vague and hasty settlement, and that Italian Government, however well disposed, could '"hand over national territory. "He considered that though the" Roman problem was not insoluble, inasmuch anything can be nettled in course of time, it cannot be solved for the This is still true, despite respect for the Papacy and wore admiration for the Church's power and me fluence, Oxe of the tests of the prosperity of the uterier toxins and villages the amount of mineral oil ed. The kerosene imported var amounts to nearly 9 mil-against 82 millions—Inst Another test is the sugar import. and this also has swallo A connesoxpsst in a Japan paper who writes correct an impression that stevedoring in Japan is slow and costly snys: "Stovedorimg (using the term in its strict and Tapan can compare favo: most "ports in the we.
Kobe for instance: tone gang will discharge or loud, on n average, 25 tons por cost of: 60 sen per ton, ledge wre these figures with the other great ports of the world.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.