The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-05-02

lopeclal despatch to The RctOrmcr.)
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Copyright 1921.
WASHINGTON, May 2.-Although
the United States government has thus
far avoided any comment on the merits
of the latest German proposal on rep
arations, there is one paragraph in the
note upon which the allied governments
would like an answer from Washington,
be it official, unofficial, informal, oral.
or couched in any other diplomatic lang
uage available. 1t is the paragraph in
which Germany formally expresses her
willingness to assume the allied indebt-
edness to the United States, approx
mating ten billion dollars. Germany
says on this point; In case the United
States and the allies, should so desire,
Germany would be disposed to take over
to the limit of her capacity the pay
ment of the allied obligations to the
United States on account of their debt
to the latter" The allies are perfectly
willing. They always have been. They
would gladly transfer the debt they owe
the United States to the backs of the
German. The preceding administration.
agreed to submit a similar proposition
with respect to the Belgian debt but it
has never been acted upon by our con
gress. Now the question arises whethe
the German suggestion meets with the
American government approval
he alhes have insisted that the
CnIted States in transmitting any Ger
man proposal acquired a certain respon-
slbItlty for the fultilment by Germany
of hnF. ,sg,a 2
the United States transmits the Ger
man note "as a suitable basis " for nego-
tlatlOn, America tacitlv admits that
she viii consider the transference oil
the allied debt owed America to the
Germans for payment
Sentiment inside congress Is strongly
against any such transference and Pres
Ident Harding has been known to hold
the view that the foreign loans made
by the United States to the allies were
a valued asset. There ism t the slight i
est chance of America agreeing to theI
German proposal for a transferenCe of
the debts, even though the allies may
so desire. On the other hand can Amer
lea avoid saying so, and thus puncturing
as unacceptable at least one clause in
the German TepaTatlOn pTOposalyI
That 5 the question which is being dis
cussed among diplomats and it, would
not be surprising Id this particular di-
lcmua had as much to do with the hes
itatiOn of the department of state tol
forward the German proposals to the
allies, as the apparent unwillinguess of
the allies to receive the German note
at this time The more the situation
develops the more the allied govern
mcnts are pleased with the apparent
recognition by the Washington admin
istration that the problems of the
world. particularly reparation. cannot
be avoided by America The passage Of
q Il ION 81
of peace with Germany comes at theI
very moment when Secretary Hughes is
hoping the influence of the United
States may be properly eXerted for the
resumption of negotiations over the emf
tire PREPARATION question. In fact heI
Is in the position of counting new pro-
posals from Germany which he may pre-
sent to the allies. After the supreme
council has acted and France has or
deTed her troops into the Ruhr valley
such proposals will unquestionably be-
made by Germany and the discussion
will proceed. Germany is not in a posi-
tlon to resist. She therefore must con-
tlnue TO bargain, negotiate, discuss and
finally yield.
Beparation negotiations probably will
go on for several weeks and ultimately
the allies expect the United States to
have a definite voice in the settlement.
Few of the diplomats here see how the
United States can maintain silence
while her biggest debtors arrange for
payments with Germany which may af-
feet the export trade of the United
States.
It was the determination Of this adj
ministration to keep out of European
affairs as much as possible. But events
are much more compelling than it ever
seemed they would be when the polit-
ical campaign was in progress last sum
mer. The Harding administration finds
foreign affairs a thorn - the side of
every attempt to concentrate on domes-
tie problems.
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