Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-05-20
j. 6. GOVERNMENT
MAY TAKE PART IN
FIXING WAR DEBT
David Lawrence Discusses
Probability of President
Appointing Representative
to Sit in at Spa. Meeting
BY DAVID LAWRENCE

WASHINGTOTN, May 19.-Tht
United States government may b.
officially represented at the meeting
| between the allies and Germany a
Spa where it is expected that ;
definite sam will be fixed which
the Germans will be obligated t
pay as war indemnity.
! Although America has not ratified
| the peace treaty under which the
| PREPARATIONS commission was to de
termine the amount of German in
demnity and America was specifical
| ly designated for membership in tina
| commission, a question has beer
raised here whether it would not b1
within the jurisdiction and power 81
President Wilson to appoint plen
ipotentiary to sit in the most i'm
portant meetings.
If, it is contended, the president
could appoint a commission to nego-
tiate peace, he can appoint COM
mission or an envoy to discuss fur
Their with the enemy the worinkg out
Of the terms of the armistice. All
the meetings thus far, in Europe have
been between the associated powers
and American diplomats have been
unofficially Observers. without any
opportunity to participat" II the dis
cussion.
Tired of Looking in Keyho1e"
Officials here are getting tired Of
the humiliation of having European
governments discuss affairs vital to
Americas economic welfare with
American Representatives 'loolling in
through the key hole as one of the
treasury officials phrased it.
Strictly speaking, the president has
an important decision to make in
connection wot hthe Spa conference,
for Germany really signed, the peace
treaty and consented to the meeting
of big powers in the reparations
commission on the expectation that
America would be member of that
body. The president asked Senator
Lodge to cooperate in approving the
appointment of an American repre-
sentative for the reparations COM
mission but the Republican leader
published the presidents letter and
took no further action.
1t would not be surprising to find
the president adverting to this Incl
dent again when he again returns the
treaty Of Versailles to the senate for
action. Cablegrams from abroad
within the last week have told of the
various plans and schemes which are
being concocted abroad to cancel or
postpone the payment of the allied
debt to the United States.
Would Save Time
None of these plans has the slight
est chance of being accepted either
by the executive branch of the gov
eminent or congress, which body
must approve any change in the ex-
listing status of our foreign debt
But, it is pointed out, the United
States could save the allies con-
siderable time and trouble. and many
misunderstanding would be avoid
ed, if the United States could sit
down at table with the allies and
the Germans and assist in the eco
nomic reconstruction of the world
Delay on the treaty has prevented
this thus far.
The allies must get around tc
the American point of view express
ed at the peace conference said
Bernard NJ. Baruch, head of the
American financial mission, today
"They must fix a definite and rea-
sonable sum for Germany to pay.
And when that is fixed you will see
revival of exchanges and 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 gov
eminent and who is assistant Sec
rotary of the treasury in charge of
foreign loans.
'The only way any appreciable
amount can. be collected from Ger
many" said Mr.. Davis, as to fix
definite and reasonable sum and
capitalize it by issuing obliga-
tions''
OF course Europe need not ex-
pect America to accept these obliga-
IAOIlS1 1AO"SNSI uScI vi they may DG
in the refinancing of their own
debts. For, as far as the United
States is concerned, she looks to
France and England alone to pay
the money owed us and is not at
all disturbed ythe absurd sugges-
tions that the United States should
accept Germany reparation bonds in
exchange for the 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 a
reasonable sum for Germany to pay
and do it quickly lest the amount
that the Germans finally are able
to pay dwindles by reason of the
very vagueness and uncertainty of
allied policy Reports to our gov
eminent from Germany show a
striking apathy. The Germans say.
what's the use, we must keep on
paying the rest of our lives and we
can't pay" In other words a rea-
sonable indemnity must be fixed
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