Bisbee daily review., 1921-02-16
REPORTS THAT SECRET OFFER
 WAS MADE IN
 FRANCE DENIED
Thomas Lamont Says Next President Is Free To Do
 Whatever He Desires HAYS AGAIN VISITOR Every Phase Of Cabinet Is Gone Over By Ohioan At
 Conference Yesterday

ST. AUGUSTINE. Fla. Feb. l5.- President-elect Harding today finally reviewed his cabinet decisions with his campaign manager and prospec- live postmaster general. Will II. Hays and received from a membeI- of Pres ident Wilson's peace delegation as- surances that no agreement for can ceilation of the allied war debt was made at Versailles.
 The conference with Hays gener- ally interpreted as conclusive eyi- dence that the Republican national chairman is to become a member of the cabinet. is under stood 10 have coy cred every feature of the cabinet sit nation. as we'll as questions of policy. The president-elect said their talk !, emitted none of the problems facing the next administration.
 Details of what happened at Yer sailles as to cancellation of the sIO- OO0 100000 war debt were given Hard ing by Thomas w. Lamont. member Of the Morgan banking firm and fis- cal attache of the peace commission. In statement later he denied recent stories of mysterious agreement to wipe the war debt off the books and said he had assured the president elect his administration would be -as hee and untrammeled us air in deai- ing fifth the question.
 Lamonts statement attracted at- tention. because Of his intimate know ledge of the Versailles negotiations and because his firm Is the principal fiscal agent in this country for the debtor powers Harding is under stood to have discussed with him his own proposal for converting the debts into negotiable paper, Lamont said he found the views of the piesi- dent-elect sane and reassuring.''
 Win Hold Reception
 Tomorrow. Harding will continue his consultation with Hays and ex- rects also 10 see Harry NJ. Daueherty his pre-convention campaisn manager who is understood to be slated for at torney general
 Announcement was made that the preSident-elect and Mrs. Harding would hold Reception tomorrow night ,o other guests Of the fashiOna- ble hotel which k their home hore.
 The statement CT Lamont who came ,at Harding's invitation. fol- lows:
 T found that President elect Hard ing wished to ask me about certain phrases of the international financial situation which had come under my observation during my attendance at the peace conference at Paris in 1919. I found toe. that Senator Harding has been giving serious thought to sitr- ation and may say that his view. is both sane and reasSpring He began by disclaiming drs ahility as a finan. cier. but ! mus; say that many Of his suggestions were very practical and showed the result Of careful. cool and friendly analysis.
 ''I was able to assure the president elect that there IS no truth ip the statement being repeated that at the peace conference there was some sc- cret understanding between President Wilson and his advisors and the French and British representatives that the allied indebtedness to the United States should in whole or in pant. be cancelled.
 "Free and untrammeled"
 Ut is only fair to say that from start to finish President Wilson and his advisors opposed vigorously and finally any such suggestion of can. cellation. To repeat, these was no commitment expressed or implied. near or remote. moral or otherwise as to the handling Of tho allies in- dehtedness to the United States.
 T was able to assure Senator Hard ing that as to his future policy in this whole matter. he is as free and as untrammeled as air.
 , The presidentele showed a keen interest in the whole situation and from his expressions gained the idea that if. and when the time comes for dealing with these sues tions. he intends to handle them with an eye to the welfare of the United States and in a large sense Of the world generally"