The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-05-20
Claimed President Has
Power to Choose Pleni-
potentiary
TIRED OF SITTING
IN AT CONFERENCES
Senator Lodge Gives President No En-
agement-America Should Have
Voice In International Financial
Matters Touching This Country.
Bv DAVID LAWRENCE.
Bv DAVID LAWRENCE.
Copyright by The Reformer.)

WASHINGTON, May 20-The United
States government may be officially rep
resented at the meeting between the
allies and Germany at Spa where it is
expected that definite sum will be fixed
which the Germans will be obligated to
pay as war indemnity.
Although America has not ratified the
peace treaty under which the repara-
tons commission was to determine the
amount of German indemnity and
America was specifically designated for
membership on that commission, ques-
ton has been raised here whether it
would not be within the jurisdiction and
power of President Wilson to appoint
plenipotentiary to sit in at these most
important meetings.
If, it is contended, the President could
appoint commission to negotiate peace,
to discuss further with the enemy the
he can appoint a commission or an envoy
working out of the terms of the armis-
! tice. All the meetings thus far IN Eu-
rope have been between the associated
| powers and American diplomats, have
| been unofficial observers" without any
opportunity to participate in the discus
sions.
/ Officials here are getting tired of the
humiliation of having European govern
ments discuss affairs vital to Americas
economic welfare with American repre-
sentativcs looking in through the key
hole as one of the treasury officials
phrased it.
Strictly speaking, the President has an
important decision to make in connec-
tion with the Spa conference for Ger
many really signed the peace treaty and
consented to the vesting of big powers
in the separations commission on the ex-
peetation that America would be mem
Der of that body. The President asked
Senator Lodge to cooperate in approx
ing the appointment of an American rep
resentative for the PREPARATIONS commits
sion, but the Republican leader published
the PRESIDENT letter and took no further
action.
1t would not be surprising to find the
President adverting to this incident
again when he returns the treaty of Yer
| sailles to the senate for action. Cable
grams from abroad within the last week
have told the various plans and schemes
which are being concocted abroad to
cancel or postpone the payment of the
allied debt to the United States None
OF these plans has the slightest chance
of being accepted either by the executive
branch of the government or congress,
which body must approve any change in
the existing status of our foreign debt.
But, it is pointed out, the United States
could save the cllies considerable time
and trouble and many misunderstood
| ings would be avoided if the United
States could sit down at a table with the
allies and the Germans and assist in the
| economic reconstruction of the world
Delay on the treaty has prevented this
thus far.
The allies must get around to the
| American point of view expressed at the
peace conference said Bernard NJ
Barueh head of the American financial
mission, yesterday. They must fix a
definite and reasonable sum for Ger
many to pay. And when that is fixed
You will see a revival of exchanges and
a revival of production throughout the
world"
Practically the same view was given
the writer by Norman Davis, another
financial expert who went to Paris for
the United States government and who
Is assistant secretary of the treasury in
charge of foreign loans.
The only way any appreciate amount
can be collected from Germany" said
Mr.. Davis, lis to fix a definite and rea
sonable sum and capitalize it by issuing
obligations"
OF course Europe need not expect
america to accept these obligations
however useful they may be in the re-
financing OF their own debts. For. as
lar as the United States is concerned, she
looks to France and England alone tc
pay the money owed us and is not at al
4 disturbed by the absurd suggestions that
the United States should accent Germany
reparation bonds in exchange for thu
signatures and guarantees of the British
empire and France.
Another thing, the viewpoint ex
pressed IN treasury quarters here is that
the allies had better fix reasonable
sum for Germany to pay and do il
l quickly lest the amount that the Ger
mans finally are able to pay dwindle,
by reason of the very vagueness and un
certainty of allied policy Reports t,
our government from Germany show ;
striking apathy. The Germans saw.
" hats the psezz77we must keep Oh pay
ing, the rest of our Gves-and we can,
pay.
In other words, reasonable indemnif,
must be fixed that will give the German
lneentivesto produce and SELL Otherwis.