Dawes Plan Adopted
Tense diplomatic negotiations in the Foreign Office, London, as delegates from Britain, France, Germany, and the United States debate the Dawes Plan, a proposal to stabilize the German economy and res
Setting
Grand conference room in the Foreign Office, London, with high ceilings, wood-paneled walls, and large windows overlooking St. James's Park. The room is dominated by a heavy oak conference table surrounded by leather-upholstered chairs.
Characters
Charles G. Dawes
primary
A middle-aged American man with a wiry build, standing at average height. His sharp, angular face is framed by neatly trimmed graying hair and a close-cropped mustache. His piercing blue eyes convey both intelligence and a no-nonsense attitude. His posture is upright, reflecting his military background.
Gustav Stresemann
primary
A middle-aged German statesman with a stocky build, thinning hair combed back, and a neatly trimmed mustache. His intelligent eyes are framed by round spectacles, and his face shows the strain of political battles.
Raymond Poincaré
secondary
A middle-aged French statesman with a stern, angular face, deep-set eyes, and a neatly trimmed mustache. His posture is rigid, reflecting his uncompromising nature, and his sharp gaze cuts through the room like a blade.
Stanley Baldwin
secondary
A middle-aged British statesman in his late 50s, with a slightly portly build and thinning grey hair combed neatly to the side. His round face features a prominent mustache and wire-rimmed spectacles that catch the light when he moves. His hands are well-manicured, betraying his upper-class background.
British Secretary
background
A young man in his late twenties, of average height with a slight, wiry build. His neatly combed dark brown hair is parted sharply to one side, and he sports a thin, well-groomed mustache. His pale complexion suggests long hours spent indoors, and his sharp blue eyes are keenly observant behind round spectacles.
French Translator
background
A bespectacled man in his late 30s, with a lean build and neatly combed dark hair showing early streaks of gray. His posture is slightly hunched from years of leaning over documents, and his sharp eyes dart between speakers with practiced efficiency.
Dialog
Charles G. Dawes
Gentlemen, if we adjust the reparation schedule to these figures—(taps document)—the mark could stabilize within eighteen months. Germany's industrial output must service this debt, not bury it.
Raymond Poincaré
(coldly) Adjust? This plan already concedes far too much. Versailles established fixed obligations—not variables for American bankers to recalculate at whim.
Gustav Stresemann
(hoarse, controlled) Herr Poincaré, each unpaid installment crumbles our factories further. Dead machines pay no debts—living ones might.
Stanley Baldwin
(raising palms slightly) Might I propose we anchor this discussion to the British memorandum's third clause? Even tempests find lee shores.
Charles G. Dawes
(faster tempo) Exactly. These loan guarantees are the seawall—(points to chart)—preventing hyperinflation from washing away the entire structure.
Raymond Poincaré
(sarcastic) How picturesque. France prefers fortresses of steel, not American sandcastles of credit.
Gustav Stresemann
(leaning in) Then let us forge steel together—or watch Europe's furnaces grow cold for generations.