VK THE SETTLEMENT OF EUROPE 175

of minor measures to ease the opening period, it isreasonable to suppose that this amount could be paidwithout serious injury to any one.

In so far as it proves convenient to discharge thisliability in goods, and not in cash, so much the better.But I see no advantage in laying stress on this. Itwould be wiser to leave Germany to find the moneyas best she can, any payment in goods being bymutual agreement, as in the Wiesbaden plan.

It may lead, however, to great anomalies to fixthe annual payments in terms of gold over so longa period as thirty years. If gold prices fall, the burdenmay become intolerable. If gold prices rise, theclaimants may be cheated of their expectations. Theannual payment should be adjusted, therefore, bysome impartial authority, with reference to an indexnumber of the commodity-value of gold.

The other Treaty change relates to the Occupation.It would promote peaceable relations in Europe if,as a part of the new settlement, the AlHed troopswere withdrawn altogether from German territory,and all rights of invasion for whatever purposewaived, except by leave of a majority vote of theLeague of Nations . But in return the British Empireand the United States should guarantee to France and Belgium all reasonable assistance, short of war-fare, in securing satisfaction for their reduced claims ;whilst Germany should guarantee the complete de-militarisation of her territory west of the Rhine .