few weeks later a compromise was reached. Germany would pay a little under $500 million for the next thirty-six years and $375 million a year for the twenty-two after that to cover the Allies debt to the United States. A new bank, the Bank of International Settlements (BIS), jointly owned by all the major central banks, would be set up to administer and where possible to “commercialize”—the modern term is securitize—these future payments, that is, to issue bonds against them. Any profits generated by the Bank were to accrue to Germany to help defray the burden. All foreign control over German
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