V

REPARATION

HI

The reader may be interested, however, to havemy estimate of the claim which can in fact be sub-stantiated under Annex I. of the Reparation Chapter.In the first section of this chapter I have alreadyguessed the claims other than those for Pensions andSeparation Allowances at £3,000,000,000 (to takethe extreme upper limit of my estimate). The claimfor Pensions and Separation Allowances under AnnexL is not to be based on the actual cost of thesecompensations to the Governments concerned, butis to be a computed figure calculated on the basisof the scales in force in France at the date of theTreaty 's coming , into operation. This method avoidsthe invidious course of valuing an American or aBritish life at a higher figure than a French or anItalian . The French rate for Pensions and Allow-ances is at an intermediate rate, not so high asthe American or British, but above the Italian , theBelgian, or the Serbian. The only data required forthe calculation are the actual French rates, and thenumbers of men mobilised and of the casualties ineach class of the various Allied Armies. None ofthese figures are available in detail, but enough isknown of the general level of allowances, of thenumbers involved, and of the casualties suffered toallow of an estimate which may not be very wideof the mark. My guess as to the amount to beadded in respect of Pensions and Allowances is asfollows: