The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-11-19
United States Now Being
Sounded Out on Projected Plan
France Prime Mover in Urging
Economic Conference.
WOULD INCLUDE GERMANY
All Nations Now in Financial
TangIe at One Table.
French Worried Over German
and Russian Payments.
tcOpyright, 1921. sy the International News

and Russian Payments.
Copyright 1921, by the International News
Service.)
Washington, Nov. 12.-The United
States has been approached by cer-
tain European nations as to its will
ingness to engage in a worldwide
economic and financial conference to
follow the present conference on linn
itation of armaments and Far Eastern
questions.
No definite invitation has thus far
been extended, but the administration
is being sounded OUT as to its atti-
tude toward such a meeting. to be
held either in Washington, London or
Paris. It is with such a gathering in
prospect that the foreign diplomats
now here have carefully refraineI
from mentioning the subject of for
eign Indebtedness at the present con-
ference.
Would Include Germany.
The conference proposed by Euro
pean statesmen would include not
only the nations that are now partic-
ipating in the armament conference
but also Germany, the smaller states
! of central and eastern Europe, and
! possibly Russia. In a WORE it is a
world economic conference that is be-
| ing quietly suggested here in Wash
! ington while the work of cutting
n9vies and ironing out Pacific and
Far Eastern disputes is in progress.
: The success of the project is con-
/ tingent upon Americas willingness to
1 participate, administration officials
| have been informed. Being possessed
of two-thirds of the worlds total
available supply of gold, being the
world. and being the greatest creditor
nation in the world. the attendance of
the United States is absolutely essen
t-al. Without American participation
the undertaking would be futile
meeting of impoverished debtors
France Leads in Move.
The prime mover in projecting the
conference idea is France. France
cannot hope for a material betterment
of her financial and economic condi-
tion to come out of the present arma-
ment conference. She has no great
naval program to be scrapped and
her spokesmen on Monday will de-
clare that France cannot with safety
decrease her military expenditures.
According to the tentative program
outlined to American officials, the
proposed financial congress would
deal with:
! l. International ind btedness.
/ european nations owe the United
States approximately $11 ,000,0 .000.)
2. Sterilization of exchange rates.
| 3. German reparations
4. The enormous sum which the old
/ cZarist government of Russia owed the
world. principally France and Great
/ Britain.
5. Sterilization and betterment of
the world credit system.
J H.
grouped all the financial and econo-
mic ills the world is heir to.
| Worried About Russia.
France wants some assurances that
the German reparation payments, one
of which is now due and about to be
defaulted will be kept up. France
also wants to realize something out
Of the millions which she poured into
the old Russian government. French
I spokesmen point out that France is
| also a great creditor nation. and could
she but realize on her investments,
she would be in a position TO discharge
her obligations to Great Britain and
the United States.
Great Britain Is much the same
! position. France and Italy are
I heavily in her debt; more in amount
than Great Britain owes the United
/ States.
I Thus far the projectors of the plan
! have been unable TO get definite as
surances of American participants.
1 Administration spokesmen have re-
piled informally that one stew on the
I fire at a time is enough and that until
| the present conference takes some
J definite form of accomplishment, the
administration does not care to put
1 on another.
Owe q. s. Huge Sums.
The sums which foreign nations
/ owe the United States with accumu-
q 1rfa frr4a in
Great Britain, $500, 900. 900;
France. SO, 500, 900, 900; Italy, $3.50
| GOO, 900; Belgium, $500. 900, 900; Ger
many. S275.OOO,00O; Russia. $780,
600 900; Rumania, s35. 900; Ser
bia (Jugo-Slavia), $50 ,00O, 900; Greece,
$25, 100000; Czecho SIovakia. s75.-
I 100000.
There are other smaller amounts
of less consequence owed by little ma
! tions.