The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1919-02-18

Inc people must not blame the
Europeans entirely for that absurd
proposal to pool tie war debts Of the
Nations who fought against the Cen
trail Powers side by side--and some
neutrals as the expanded plan seems
to indicate--but they should remem-
Der that Mr.. George w. Wickersham,
formerly Attorney General Of ths
United States, and some other en-
thusiastics not so well known, have
more than once put forward the no.
ton that the debts of France and
Belgium be wiped out. In, other
words, the United States has been
asked in most foolish way by GER
tain Of its citizens to cancel certain
billions of debts owed by European
Powers on account of the war.
The current issue of Golfers
Weekly contains warning from its
Editor, Mr.. Mark Sullivan, now IN
Paris, which it would be we'll for all
men to read. Mr.. Wickersham, in
his outburst Of generosity suggested
that the cancellation Of the loans
made France and Belgium particu-
larly, should be performed in so
delicate a manner as not to humiliate
those allies Of ours. Mr.. Sullivan
frankly suggests that the American
people are entirely unaware of the
extent Of the humiliation those Ma
tons can assimilate. He gives us
very clear idea of Frances atti-
tude; and, as almost any person of
intelligence would, points that we
are in ,nowise liable for so munifi-
cent a gift to anybody.
The Times observes with mucn
qualification that the American GEL
egation at Paris does not favor the
pooling Of debts, and it is scarcely
possible that Congress, the peace
delegates or anybody else will favor
the cancellation Of the loans made
during the war. There was no re-
quest for gift, there was no talk
of a gift by the United States Gov
eminent when the loans were made;
and there should be no talk of can
collation. now. 1t is quite apparent
that France would accept cancella-
ton in a hurry, to say nothing of the
fact that she would have us go far
beyond this and undertake to pay
some enormous share of the cost of
the war-if not, indeed, the whole
cost.
There is not and there should not
be any disposition in this country TO
push our allies or to poster them
about the great loans already made
Moreover, the people recognize the
fact that they must make still more
loans to stricken lands after peace
eventually has been signed. But
they will want such loans made upon
a strict business basis, with no false
sentimentality springing up to poi
son the ideal and tarnish the finan-
cial favor done. While America
wishes not to boast of her perform
ances in the war, the time has come
TO call halt to the tendency so to
1eprecate our efforts as to make it
appear that we now must assume
great financial burdens in order to
Justify our existence.
M. Alexandra Ribot, formerly Pre-
nier of France, has the plan that
caches farthest into our National
'urse. He would have the United
States share the cost of the war
rom 1914, on the basis of National
esources, man power destroyed and !
evastation suffered. This would J
iake our share about the sum of
ur National wealth if M. Ribot were !
ermitted to figure out the sum,
ut no Frenchman seems to combat
is ideas. Therefore, it would be as l
ell if somebody in official America l
ould set this venerable gentleman
ght. His dreams are carving him l