Franco-German Negotiations
JANUARY 17. New tension between Paris and Berlin.

Yesterday's long meeting between the French and German delegates to try to reach an agreement on a draft provisional treaty did not come to anything. French counter-projects and German counter-proposals were confronted for four and a half hours, without result. This has been going on for fifteen weeks.

Germany has been in possession of the written text of our latest proposals since yesterday evening. We expect its response in three or four days. No new French concession seems likely to be made. If Germany does not accept, we are once again on the road to customs rupture.

** In Berlin, the crisis is only half resolved. Even before it is complete, the new German cabinet is running into difficulties.

** In its meeting yesterday, the British cabinet instructed MM. Baldwin, Churchill and Austen Chamberlain to draw up the answer to Mr. Clementel's letter on the subject of the French debt. Experts will join the three ministers. This answer can hardly be expected before the end of the month.