The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-02-04
UNIVERSAL TAX
To CARRY WARS
DEBTS PROPOSED
ITALIAN PEACE DELEGATE
WANTS SINGLE FINANCIAL
FRONT" FOR ALLIES
WOULD POOL ALL FUNDS
Signor Crespi Says international
Levy Would Furnish Interest on
Portion of Debts of Allies Not
Paid by Germany and Provide
Sinking Fund.

Portion OF Debts of Allies Not
Paid by Germany and Provide
Sinking Fund,
Paris, Sunday, Feb. "A univer-
sal tax, the proceeds OF which would
be put into a common fund along
with the ndemnities Germany
should be made 10 pay, is proposed
by Signor CreSpi OF the Italian del
egation to the peace conference, in
the proposition he has made for the
establishment OF a single financial
front for the allies. The tax would
furnish interest on that portion OF
the debts OF the allies which Ger
many had not paid and provide a
sinking fund for ultimately cancel
ing the debts.
Signor Crcspi who said his pro-
posal for a single allied financial
front had been well received by al
lied ministers, declared that his great
~ - ucLaIo ,,,,,st Lo for.aI 80 .an,
pensate the allies for the war dam
ages they have suffered. Respon-
an ,bo ono,rv statos n,n,,rd have ~
nav. IL, nronort;o, 70 tbe;r ,veaItb
3On no oIber bard" he con.
,;rnod a,ll tLn ,Il;ns L,vo srffered
;mmcnse Io.se. and thcy must alI
honof;, from Tho ;ndcmnities which
,ho ono,,,, :. 20 no, zach one
shorld rcro'yo !, nronort;on - the
offort i b,. m,de Thus smaller
e,ates ,h,t h,ro snert more than
laraor onos IN co,,nar;sor - their
,,oolth OUGHT 70 reco;ve I,rgor in
demn;t;os in nronort;on A6solntc
fairness ongbt 70 he preserved in
tho d;y;s;on - ;ndor,;t;os
WI, Mi. ., pool
"o''N i"lN' common "
'"' S,"'p''S. way ~ '"'' o"'
l"e "I.'', o's'' ., ,ou,'C.' "o'.u ',,,' w ~
nool which could hc ncriod;cally
anoort;onod ,monr tho d;iferont na-
ions Tho ir,d .bould he ,ro-
mentcd nv t,vc. of a universal char.
acter enemies allied or neutral tbc
I,st ,amed b,y;ro bcrcfitcd from
thr sacrifices made Inv the allies.
Such raxcs miobt he levied ON ex-
norts and ;mnort. and also ON coal
and rS,y ,natcr;,I. If scems to me
only fair that countries which have
benefited and even grown rich.
,brorgh tbo srffor;no and sacrifices
NJ tbr allies should he made 10 belp
comnensate the allies Such 4 tax
would ,ot wc;ch more heavily on
one state than on another since it
v,or1d hc universal # would mere
T., hive heor ,he effect Of raising
rr;.o. on .omc certain narticrlar
nrod,,,. :, al countries alike
r Wal. r,,.,:ah 1,+oros+
ldN "o''u VI ''i'',
'lhe enemy mould DC lorceu 10
pay oil as soon as possible the al
lies debt. The international tax
would furnish interest on the rest
and a sinking fund Tor paying 1t oil
eventually, In my opinion, the en-
cmy ought to be allow ed to pay
not only in gold, but IN raw ma
terials and finished products. Par'
OF their debt might be covered by
bonds which they would take up
gradually in exchange Tor goods de-
livered to the allies.
The supply OF raw materials IS
another important question to be
considered. Ii they are furnished to
enemy countries at the same time
and at the same prices as to the al
lies, the AuStriaus and Germans,
whose industrial plants have not
been destroyed and who are ready
to return to a peace basis IN their
production more rapidly than the
allies, would reach foreign markets
quicker and under better conditions
than would be possible Tor the al
lies. This we must avoid at all
costs. | therefore propose that dis
tribution OF raw materials be inter
nationally controlled in such a way