would be represented by land which has sustained no permanent damage.97 In view of the very inadequate data for guessing at more than the general magnitude of the legitimate claims of this group of countries, I prefer to make one guess rather than several and to put the figure for the whole group at the round sum of $1,250,000,000.
We are finally left with the following—
| Belgium | $2,500,000,000 | [98] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 4,000,000,000 | ||
| Great Britain | 2,850,000,000 | ||
| Other Allies | 1,250,000,000 | ||
| Total | $10,600,000,000 |
I need not impress on the reader that there is much guesswork in the above, and the figure for France in particular is likely to be criticized. But I feel some confidence that the general magnitude, as distinct from the precise figures, is not hopelessly erroneous; and this may be expressed by the statement that a claim against Germany, based on the interpretation of the pre-Armistice engagements of the Allied Powers which is adopted above, would assuredly be found to exceed $8,000,000,000 and to fall short of $15,000,000,000.