The daily times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1902-1936, 1921-10-04
NOT CHIEF QUESTION
Our Government is Not in
Mood to Talk Cancellation
of War Debt; There is Feel
ing that the Question May
Produce Only Antagonisms
and Disappointment.
(By David LaWrence.)
Copyright, 1921, by The Daily
Times


Washington, Oct. 3.-Reports and :
rumors keep recurring that coincident !
with the armament conference there !
will be a gathering of financiers of
all the powers to settle the question
of war debts. Department of State
officials today pronounced these
stories as without foundation SO far
as this government is concerned.
Everything under the sun" would
be discussed if all the suggestions be-
ing made were to be acted upon, in
the opinion of government officials
who point out that the agenda al
ready made public indicates the scope
of the conference.
There is evidence that the interna-
tjonal financiers of European coun-
tries are behind the constant sug
to be sure, some American bankers
are reported as Interested This how
ever is taken here to mean that Eu-
ropean financiers are urging action
|
For the fact is the American banking
groups as such have not asked our
government to convene financial
! conference and there is little likeli-
/ hood. that such a suggestion would
| meet with favor.
| Many reasons can be given for the
y prevalence of this attitude. First,
there was good deal of criticism
when our government included Far
Eastern problems in a discussion of
armament limitation. Some members
of the Cabinet feared that to include
SO troublesome a question as relations
lence in endless discussion which
would only force into the background
the real object of the gathering,
namely a reduction of armament
This viewpoint has been answered by
: Secretary Hughes by arranging the
agenda so that discussion of arma-
: ment will go on cOncurrently with
the tackling of Pacific problems In
other words committees will work on
all parts of the agenda at the same
time and the reports will be taken uI
in no set order.
As for including financial ques.
= tions, the feeling is that the agenda
of the conference already "bites off az
much as it can chew" and that to lus
, in the intricate subjects of war debts
might only produce antagonism anG
e disappointments which might affec
the success of the other conferences
European nations may not as yet b,
convinced of it but the truth is oul
l. government is not in the mood tt
= talk cancellation of war debt or eve,
n general funding scheme howeve
sound economically the basis for sucl
action might be. A glance at what i
happening in Congress, it is con
tended, ought to satisfy the European
h financiers. President Harding's sim
d pie request for power to negotiat
e with foreign governments for tn
Y payment of principal and interes
# owed us is held up largely because O
suspicion that such power if grant
ed might enable the executive to can
y eel the debts through acceptance O
Le European securities of doubtful value
,r If, therefore, this power isn't grant
ed, now, how much dhance woul
there be to get it if the Europea
lie countries stirred up the question c
D. cancellation of war debts?
N Issues of European newspapers a
ty well as cable reports to America
u newspapers indicate much NOR
lively interest in the war debt in cor
l. nection with the Washington confer
re ence on armament than is we1com
1e here. Unquestionably the British an
ct French delegations will be compose
CONTINUED on page 81