Adoption of the Young Plan
Diplomats and financiers from multiple nations, led by Owen D. Young and including key figures like Hjalmar Schacht and Émile Francqui, are finalizing the terms of the Young Plan in the Peace Palace.
Setting
A grand conference hall in the Peace Palace, The Hague, Netherlands. The room is adorned with high ceilings, large windows draped with heavy velvet curtains, and polished wooden floors that reflect the afternoon light. A long mahogany table dominates the center, surrounded by plush leather chairs.
Characters
Owen D. Young
primary
A tall, lean man in his mid-50s with sharp blue eyes behind round spectacles, graying hair neatly combed back, and a clean-shaven face. His posture exudes authority, with broad shoulders and deliberate movements.
Hjalmar Schacht
primary
A tall, lean man in his early 50s with sharp facial features, including a prominent nose and thin lips. His piercing blue eyes are framed by round spectacles, and his short, graying hair is neatly combed back. His posture exudes authority, though there's a visible tension in his jawline.
Émile Francqui
secondary
A middle-aged Belgian man of slight build, standing at average height with sharp, discerning features. His neatly trimmed salt-and-pepper mustache frames thin lips that often purse in thought. Piercing blue eyes peer through round spectacles, giving him an air of intellectual intensity.
Secretary
secondary
A middle-aged Dutch official with a slender build and sharp features. His thinning brown hair is neatly combed back, and he wears round spectacles that perch on his nose, reflecting the dim light of the conference hall. His posture is upright but tense, betraying the pressure of the moment.
German Delegate
background
A young man in his late 20s, slender build with sharp features, clean-shaven with neatly combed dark blond hair. His pale complexion shows signs of stress, with faint shadows under his alert blue eyes.
Dialog
Owen D. Young
Gentlemen, were we to consider the amortization schedule proposed by the Dawes Committee as a baseline, we might find room for adjustment—provided Germany demonstrates fiscal discipline moving forward.
Hjalmar Schacht
Assuming that 'fiscal discipline' does not translate to further strangulation of our economy, Herr Young. The Rentenmark—our currency—has stabilized, but these payments risk undoing that progress.
Émile Francqui
Whereas Belgium's reconstruction hinges upon these very reparations, n'est-ce pas? The Brussels Accord of 1927 established precedents we cannot disregard.
Hjalmar Schacht
Precedents, Monsieur Francqui, should not become shackles. Germany cannot bleed gold indefinitely while factories stand idle.
Owen D. Young
Let us balance this ledger with care. A default benefits no one—not creditors, not debtors. The world watches this room today.
Émile Francqui
Then let us ensure the scales tip toward justice, not merely expediency. Belgium remembers the cost of occupation—down to the last brick.
Hjalmar Schacht
And Germany remembers the cost of starvation. Very well—conditional upon Allied troops leaving the Rhineland by 1930, we may... reconsider the payment structure.