ii FROM THE TREATY TO CONFERENCE OF LONDON 17

accord " between them could be re-established by" calling the Germans sharply to order " for venturingto suggest that the Treaty could be altered at all.

At last, on July 5, 1920, the long-heralded Con-ference met. But, although it occupied twelve days,no time was found for reaching the item on the agendawhich it had been primarily summoned to discuss— namely, Reparations. Before this dangeroustopic could be reached urgent engagements recalledM. Millerand to Paris . One of the chief subjects actu-ally dealt with, coal, is treated in Excursus I. at theconclusion of this chapter. But the chief significanceof the meeting lay in the fact that then for the firsttime the responsible ministers and experts of Germany and the Allied States met face to face and used themethods of public conference and even privateintimacy. The Spa Conference produced no plan;but it was the outward sign of some progress underthe surface.

III. The Brussels Conference (December 16-22, 1920)

Whilst the Spa Conference made no attempt todiscuss the general question of the Reparationsettlement, it was again agreed that the latter shouldbe tackled at an early date. But time passed by, andnothing happened. On September 23, 1920, M.Millerand succeeded to the Presidency of the FrenchRepublic , and his place as Premier was taken by

c