Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1918-12-04
EUROPE HAS HUGE
BILLS AGAINST us.
FOR WAR SERVICES
Britain, Especially, Has Heavy
Charges for Ships.
FRANCES SETTLEMENT EASY
America Now Has on French Soil
Many Millions of Dollars Worth of
Permanent Structures and Many
Miles of Railways.

Washington. Nov. 25.-The United
States and Great Britain, it was stated
on authority, have agreed on the prin-
ciple by which there shall be a settle
ment of mutual Indebtedness in such
matters as use of ships, transportation
of troops to Europe, docking charges
and other related items.
This has been done so lately there
have been as yet no great patches of
bills presented from British sources,
and it is believed the status is the
same with respect to France.
1t also is stated the question of
settlement with France will be a
comparatively easy task, as the
United States has now on French soil
millions of dollars worth of perma-
nent structures which will aid in the
immediate reconstruction of France
If taken over by the government.
u. S. Own Quarrel.
That Great Britain and France
should have bills against the United
States is, at first sight, not obvious.
Authorities say, however, that when
went in with it's own cause of quarrel
against Germany and to carry on the
''war of the United States versus
Germany"
| It's policy was necessarily one of
payment for any military privilege
to make the war of the United States
success. Therefore, international
obligation and equity, it is said, made
1t obligatory on the United States to
pay for what it needed in France just
as if France were not in the war at
all and merely allowed the United
States to use it's territory and ma
tional supplies. railroads, docks, auto
service, markets, etc.
The same, it is stated, would be
true of any facilities furnished by
| Great Britain either of British soil
or In the way of ships.
Britain's Bill Colossal.
The bills from England doubtless
will be of the first magnitude if not
| colossal because so per cent of the
| transports the United States used
were British owned.
1t is stated that where big ships
were used with no return cargo of
any consequence the charge per man
might easily be $50, in others SO,
with, of course, other apparently less
startling figures.
The principle referred to, however,
may present some equities that are
not yet disclosed by either Great
Britain or that of the United States.
On the other hand American ships
which carried supplies for the allies
will have a charge against them for
the freight. Both France and Great
Britain have bought very largely in
the United States with money loaned
to them.
Items OF Value In France.
Some of the items of value which
were mentioned today. These show
In round numbers 1000 standard
gauge locomotives, $4,000 standard
gauge freight cars, all of American
| manufacture $50 locomotives and
1900 freight cars of foreign make, $50
miles of standard-gauge railways, 115
miles of road and 40 miles of light
railway, $4,000 motor vehicles, 225
miles of French railways (probably
under lease), vast stores of artillery
munitions of war, 10 steamer berths
at Bordeaux, berths at Monoir,
warehouses covering 23,000,000 square
feet, and Developments" of dock ia
Military stations for airplanes were
erected at several places on the
| French coast, and large numbers of
vessels of semimilitary character were
loaned to France for the protection
Of her shipping.