n FROM THE TREATY TO CONFERENCE OF LONDON 27

which would be in other ways an equally satisfactorydischarge of her obligations under the Treaty ofVersailles (subject to the concessions made in theParis proposals)," the Allies would proceed to (1) theoccupation of Duisberg , Euhrort, and Diisseldorf onthe right bank of the Rhine , (2) a levy on all paymentsdue to Germany on German goods sent to Allied countries, (3) the establishment of a line of Customsbetween the occupied area of Germany and the restof Germany , and (4) the retention of the Customspaid on goods entering or leaving the occupiedarea.

During the next few days negotiations proceeded,to no purpose, behind the scenes. At midnight onMarch 6, M. Loucheur and Lord D'Abernon offeredthe Germans the alternative of a fixed payment of£150,000,000 for 30 years and an export proportion of30 per cent. 1 The formal Conference was resumed onMarch 7. " A crowd gathered outside LancasterHouse in the morning and cheered Marshal Foch andMr. Lloyd George. Shouts of ' Make them pay, LloydGeorge !' were general. The German delegates wereregarded with curiosity. General von Seeckt woreuniform with a sword. He wore also an eyeglass inthe approved manner of the Prussian officer andbore himself as the incarnation of Prussian mili-tarism. Marshal Foch, Field - Marshal Sir Henry

1 Compare this with the fixed payment of £100,000,000 and an exportproportion of 26 per cent proposed in the second Ultimatum of London, only two months later.