Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-02-17
CANCELLATION Of
WAR DEBT ALWAYS
FOUGHT BY WILSON
7 hose Who Know Facts ir
Case Declare President
Resented Suggestion, Di
Not Welcome It
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Ieased Wire Service to Tile Journal. J
(Copvripht 1901

Copyright, 1921
WASHINGTON, Feb. 16.-Defend
ing President Wilson from attack for
some of his attitudes at the peace
conference may not be fashionable,
but in the interest of fair play, those
who know the facts concerning the
alleged promise of Mr.. Wilson to Sc
cure the cancellation of the allied
war debt have no hesitancy in saying
that far from welcoming the sug
gestion made informally to him, he
actually resented the, idea.
One man who was with the presi
dent during the peace negotiations
tells a story of a dramatic incident
that occurred at a luncheon given to
President Wilson by the members of
the French chamber of deputies.
which corresponds to the American
house of representatives.
Mr. Wilson fully expected that the
| affair would be altogether social and
was not prepared to talk shop. The
| president of the French chamber was
seated next to Mr.. Wilson and his
attempts to get Mr.. Wilson to COM
NIT himself in private conversation
| to some plan for the pooling of wal
debts was received with such frown
| of disapproval and with such en-
| phatic remarks that persons at the
table related the incident later as an
| indication that so far as Mr.. Wilson
was concerned there was no hope OF
getting him to agree to any cancella-
ton of the war debt
| Proposal Not ofdcial
1t is true that the proposal was
never officially made to cancel war
debts, but at the least score OF
different suggestions and plans were
laid informally before Mr.. Wilson by
| French, Italian and British experts.
all presuming to arrange for pool
ing of assets and liabilities, but In
reality designed to relieve Europe OF
| much of her financial obligation TO
the United States.
MI. Wilson grew so sensitive, IN
deed so suspicious of these plans
that the newspaper correspondent"
who were present at the plehaf'
conference in February, 1919, Will no.
| forget with what abruptness MI
| Wilson interrupted the proceedins"
to inuuire what was the purpose o.
the srecial financial section "nlca
was to be u part of the organll2zsatfos'
| of the League of Nations.
The nroposaI was made az az
\ omendment to the general dech,I"-
ton of principles which hao Ja>'
been adopted pledging all the cou'
tries present to League Oh 'S"'
lions and Premier Clemence1u Fea'
il so rapidly and IN such perluh
torv fashion that the preslueii
showed signs of uneasiness ana ash
| ed Mr. Clemenceau where the sue
gestion had originated ana what i'S
The French premier pointed out
that the powers of the special COM
| mittee would only advisory anu
that it would not Interfere with tne
| freedom of action OF mdlVloua' Ii"
TWO Points Stressed
Everybody who was In nan,s
watching the American peace com.
mission from day to day knew OF
the efforts of the european soaIe .,
proposals that would tighten the II
nancial burdens of Europe. Sug-
| gestiohs for the cancellation OF lne
| allied war debt became so numerous
| that Americas peace commis
| found it necessary in their informal
| conversations with the Europeans 70
| make clear two points-f1rst. that
| the United States was by no means
| responsible for any debts contracted
| or anything done In the war prior 10
| April, 1917, and. second. that Amer
| lea could not, in justice to her own
people, who had loaned the money
! through Liberty bonds. accept any
| suggestion even remotely affecting
| the original obligations.
The European governments. now
ever, sharing to some extent the
popular conceptions abroad Of Amer
| ica's limitless wealth insisted upon
| urging a cancellation or pooling OF
war debts. The proposals made pub
| lie within the last fortnight are
| part of the same misunderstanding
| Of Americas position even though 1t
has been mad eplain by Republicans
| and Democrats of influence from the
very beginning. Speeches made by
men like James M. Beck abroad.
have often been WRONGLY interpreted
as the American viewpoint.
While onl va few Americans OF
prominence have urged the cancella-
ton of the war debt. their utter
ances have been displa yeind shr
ances have been displayed in Europe
an newspapers and have to some ex-
tent encouraged false hopes.
know oW' that hat not ' Only only did President
Paris. but that Secretary McAdoo.
Secretary Glass and Secretary Hous-
ton, have each in their turn, told
European diplomats in unequivocal
terms that the American people ex-
pected their European debtors to
make good their promises to pay.
~