Great Falls daily tribune., 1920-05-23
RIFFS IN THE Lutte

RIFFS IN THE Lutte
There are signs in plenty that the entente
allies are drifting apart. They were brought
together by the danger of German imperialism
and aggression. That danger is probably gone
At least, it is gone for a generation to come.
And the cord of necessity and common danger
that bound France, Italy and Great Britain to-
gether having now become slack there is grow
ing friction and irritation among them. They
find themselves poor after the war and terribly
in debt The idea of communism which each
government fights when it is applied to its own
citizens seems to have strange hold on some OF
the allied governments. AS it is among indi-
viduals, SO it is with the entente nations. 1t is
those individuals who have nothing saved up who
want to divide equally and make all wealth COM
mon property, and it is those who have saved
the most who are opposed to such common pool
ing of individual wealth. So we notice that it
is the nations who are the poorest who are most
anxious that all war debts be pooled. There un-
doubtedly is feeling abroad that the United
States being the richest Of the late allies in the
war should in some way carry the heavy end OF
their financial burden This feeling has per-
haps found no official voice. but it is noticeable
in some of the newspaper utterances abroad, and
is still more vocal in conversation between visit
ing Americans in Europe and the natives.
Uncle Sam, having persistently declined to
call off debts abroad or contract new debts due
this government, France and Italy seem to have
turned their efforts for a division of poverty
toward Great Britain, the next most solvent of
the allies The latest manifestation of this
spirit is found in a proposal that the debts they
owe Great Britain shall be made dependent on
the payment of the German indemnity to them.
In other words, as they begin to realize that
German promises to pay are pretty risky paper,
and may never be taken up, they want to pay
Great Britain for goods and gold in these Ger
70 Thn al
tractive one from their standpoint if Great Brit
ain can be made to see the point. 1t is just as
though a man who had large store OF old notes
on which the interest and installments had been
unpaid, and which he began to fear would never
be collected, should find an obliging storekeeper
who would take them in payment for needed
grub and other supplies. That would be fine
arrangement for the owner of the bum notes,
but it would not reflect much credit on the buSl-
ness sagacity of the storekeeper. The Spring
field Republican, in comment on the matter, says
1T is possible that $4,000, 100000 is being men,
toned as the total German indemnity in order to
get an expression of opinion from Germany; to
| fix irrevocably lump sum on the eve OF con-
/ ference at which Germany is invited to give in
formation as to its ability to pay would be rather
absurd. Of more Importance is the arrangement
said to have been reached at Hythe for linking
| the German indemnity with the debt of France
| to the allies, so that if Germany did not pay
| Jn6H HS1Cllef Hoeu TIdiiCc. Inc LoliuOI bohJ
| Mail sees the point when it says that this ar
rangement offers guaranty against vlcarious
generosity by our politicians at the expense of
| France But the 'super-credtor' is the United
States and there is an unconcealed desire to have
the German indemnity likewise linked to the
payment of the entente's debts to the United
States in order to interest American capital in
| squeezing as much money as possible out of Ger
many It is a clever device for creating vested
interest so widely diffused as to be proof against
| any possible future demand for revision in the
interest of justice and humanity"
There was a time when a few super heated
! altruists whose share in contributing war loans
was very slight were ready to advocate the policy
| of the United States making present of the ten
billion dollars the entente allies borrowed from
this government during the war. That idea
| found most enthusiastic reception by the debt
ors, but they could find no response in the stony
heart of Uncle Sam. 1t is true that the interest
on these loans is long past due and Uncle Sam
| has been lenient enough to extend the time be-
cause of the higher rate Of exchange which would
make the Italians pay 20 per cent interest instead
of 5, if they were compelled to pay interest due
| in cash at this time. The other nations that owe
us would be penalized also though not quite so
| badly as Italy. But this extension of time is
| about as far as the benevolence of Uncle Sam
goes at this moment. 1t is certain that any pro-
| posal to take for our pay German indemr/ y
| notes will meet with no agreement on this side
| of the water Germany owes us nothing now,
| and we don't want any transferred obligations