The Washington herald., 1918-11-25
ALLIES AGREE
ON ADJUSTING
OF WAR COSTS
u. S. and Britain Reach
Understanding on Mutual
Service Charges.
HUGE BILLS In FRANCE
This Country Will Settle for
Use Of Lands, Buildings
and Material.
HUGE BILLS In FRANCE

The United States and Great Brit
ain, it was stated yesterday on au-
thority, have agreed on the prin-
ciple' by which there shall be a set
tlement of mutual Indebtedness in
| such matters as use of ships, trans
portation of troops to Europe. dock
ing charges and other related items
of charge.
This has been done so lately that
there have been as yet no great
patches of bills presented from Brit
ish sources. and it is to be expected
the status is the same with respect
to France. 1t is also stated that the
question of settlement with France
will be comparatively easy task,
as the United States has now on
French soil millions of dollars worth
of permanent structures which will
aid in the Immediate reconstruction
of France If taken over by that gov
ernment.
That Great Britain and France
should have bills against the United
States is. officials say. at first sight
not generally obvious. Authorities
say. however, that before the United
states went into the war it loaned
money in large sums to the allies.
This has to be paid back. When the
/ United States went in. however, it
went in with its own cause of quar-
rel against Germany. and in order
to carry on the war of the United
States against Germany" its policy
/ Of
any military privilege to make the
war OF the United States a success.
Under Obligation to Pay.
Therefore International obligation
| and equity. it is said, made it obliga-
] tory on the United States to pay for
what it needed in France. just as
II France were not iu the war at
all and merely allowed the United
states to use its territory and ma
tional supplies of all kinds, rail-
roads. docks. auto service, markets,
and so forth.
The same. it is stated. would be
true OF any facilities furnished by
Great Britain. either on British soil
or in the way of ships.
The debts from England will doubt
less be of the first ma gnitude. II not
colossal. because of the fact, as Off
ciauy stated often. that the Amer
[ ican troops were transported in ships
60 per cent of which were British
bottoms. That may mean that the
cost of transportation of 10000 of
the 100000 taken over is a charge
or Great Britain against the United
States.
1t is stated that where big ships
were used with no return cargo of
any consequence the charge per man
might easily lie SEQ. in other cases
$40, with other less startling figures.
The principle referred to, however,
may present some equities that are
not yet disclosed by either Britain
or 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, 1t
is said. have bought very largely in
the United States with money loan
ed to them.
Immense Items of Material.
Some of the items of value which
the United States now has in France
were given yesterday. These show,
in round numbers, 1000 standard
gauge locomotives, 1900 standard
gauge freight cars, all of American
manufacture; $50 locomotives and
1000 freight cars of foreign make;
$50 miles of standard-gauge railways.
115 miles of road and 40 miles of
light railway type; 5000 motor We
CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO.