Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-02-03
TO MAKE NEUTRAL
NATIONS HELP PAY
Countries Which Have Benefited FL
naneially Thru War Should De
Forced to Share Burdens Of War
Cost, in Opinion Of Ssner crsspi-
Canadian Proposes international
House Of Representatives.
TBy the Associated Press.l


Paris, Feb. A universal tax. the
proceeds OF which would be put into a
common fund with the indemnities
Germany should pay, is proposed by
Scnor Crespi, Of the italian delegation
to the peace conference, in the propo-
sition he has made for the estabiish-
ment of single financial 'front.' for
the allies.
The tax would furnish interest on
that portion Of the debts of the allies
which Germany has not paid and pro-
vide a sinking fund for ultimately can
ceiling the debt.
Sencr Crespi, who said his proposal
for single allied financial front has
been well received by allied ministers,
declared that his great point was that
the central empires as a whole must
be forced to compensate the allies for
war damages they have suffered. Re
Nsponsibilities were collective. he said.
and all the enemy states would have
to pay in proportion to their wealth.
All Must Benefit.
"On the other hand" he continued,
''all the allies have suffered immense
y I'D they must all beneflt from
nGe. ties which the enemy Is to
n one should receive in pyo-
, cfrort 1t has made. Thus
ss states that have spent more
arser ones in comparison to their
18th ought to receive larger in
-Innities In proportion. Absolute fair
moss ought TO be preserved in the
division Of indemnities.
The simplest way to carry out the
actual distribution would be to put the
entire fund in common pool, which
would be periodically apportioned
among the different nations. The fund
should be augmented by taxes Of
universal character levied on all states,
enemy. allied or neutral. the last
named having benefited from the
secrffices made by the allies. Such
taxes might be levied on exports and
imports and also on coal and raw ma.
terials. q
1T seems to me only fair that coun-
tries which have benefited and even
grown rich thru the sufferings and
sacrifices Of the allies should be made
to help compensate the allies. Such a
tax would not weigh more heavily on
one state than-on another, since it
would be universal. It would merely
have the effect Of raising prices on
some certain particular products in
all countries alike.
off as soon Is possible the allies
debts. The International tax would
furnish interest on the rest and a
sinking fund Cor paying it on event
ually.. In my opinion the enemy ought
to be allowed to pay, not only in gold,
but in raw materials and finished
products. Part OF their debt might be
covered by bonds which they would
take up gradually in exchange for
goods delivered to the allies"
international House Proposed.
Charles j. Doherty. Canadian min
lister Of justice. who has proposed to
the peace conference that an inter-
national peoples house of representa-
tives be established, said today in
discussing the subject:
Prevention Of war Is not the con-
cern OF governmental power alone. It
Is the interest OF humanity itself. A
sovereign state is not organized with
view OF exerting any restraining in
tluence over It's own action toward
other states. II war is to be pre-
vented or its likelihood diminished,
success can be attained only by the
existence somewhere, IL not power
that will control. at least influence
which will restrain the absolute SOW
ereignty Of organized states in dealing
with each other.
Whence Is that power or influence
to be derived !; not from the peoples
nhabiting the different states. whose
every interest demands the suppress
sion Of war? The weak point on all
plans 80 far discussed is that the
action Of states is to be controlled, re<
strained or Influenced in conferences
Of those states themselves, to the ex-
clusion Of other peoples who are to
be effected by the decisions reached.
1t must be remembered that 1t Is not
merely the people Of states Inn
jmediately concerned who are effected
by war but all mankind
III the plan is adopted we. can, as
has been said, look forward to sys.
tom Of International relations main
ta!ned by an aggregate OF popular
forces, uniformly intolerant OF any
attempt to substitute all appeal to
The sword or methods Of the. council
chamber, We will be assured that
behind the o-operation Of states, and
holding them firmly to 1t. are the
worlds people speaking and acting by
and thru their duly chosen repre-
sentatives."
Premier vepizelos Of Greece. was
before the supreme council OF the
peace conference at its session this
morning and made a statement on the
claims or Greece. The appearance of
sths premier was announced in the offi-