New-York tribune., 1921-02-26
Lamont insists
All Allies Will
Pay L. S. Debts
Banker, i'm Address im Phil
adelphis. Reiteratcs De-
nial of Cancellation Agree
ment at Paris Farley
Saws People Must Decide
Reparations Commission Is
Held Responsible for De-
Law in Fixing Indemnity

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 25.-All the
Allies will pay their war debts to the
United States, Thomas W. Lamont.
wrtner in j, r. Morgan & Co, who
was ono of the United States Treasury
representatives on the American COM
mission to negotiate peace, declared
,o.night before The Philadelphia Pub
lie Ledger forum on the peace confer
eace,
Alter reitorating statements he made
in New York yesterday that there was
no agreement of any sort in Paris that
the Allied debt to the United States be
cancelled, Mr.. Lamont said:
"The whole question OF international
debts is q most important one. The
American people must, in the last anal
ysis, determine it upon the principle
Of what course is best calculated to
benefit the world as whole, including
America"
Wants United States on Board
Dcprecsting Americas lack of repre-
sentatlon on the permanent reparations
commission, Mr.. Lamont said:
This commission, in nv Judgment
has been in a considerable measure
responsible for the lamentablo delay
that has occurred in fixing the amount
Of the German indemnity.
Our failure to name a delegate for
this commission has been not merely a
great disappointment to our former
associates in the war, but has, be-
Iieve, been largely responsible for the
continued economic unsettlement in
Europe, with its unfortunate reflex
upon our own industrial and CONNER
cisl business"
The S46,000,000,00 which Germany
was notified she must pay over a series
Of forty-two years by the recent settle
ment at Paris. Mr.. Lamont said, if
amortized at s y rcr cent and brought
back to present values, would represent
capital sum of about 100000, 900.
plus whatever amount Germany has
already paid on account.
Schedule Not Unreasonable
"Now, even the most moderate of the
experts figuring at Paris" he added,
thought that Germany could pay a
dollars, SO that not counting the So
called export tax which is a part
Of the recent Paris settlement the
schedule arrived at does not seem to
be unreasonable.
Certain it is that the Allied and
associated powers would be delighted
to receive as reparation capital sum
to-day of $4,000 100000 rather than
what that sum would amount to with
interest spread out over a series of
thirty or forty years"
Mr.. Lamont dealt extensively with
the discussions at Paris and the rea-
sons for the decision to establish
permanent reparations commission. He
questioned the wisdom of Lloyd George
and Ciemenceau's insisting upon such
high figures from Germany, maintain
ing that the popularity of each was SO
great at the time that they could have
tutridden or even profted by the po-
litical storm which would have resulted
in their two countries had they been
Wiling to agree to a smaller figure,
which Germany could have paid, and
which would have gone far toward set
ting the worlds economic condition.
Wilson Urged Pensions
He told how General Smuts finally
convinced President Wilson that pen
slOns should be included in the repara-
ton bill Some of the experts, he said,
gathered in the Presidents library and
explained to him that they couldn't
find a single lawyer in the American
| delegation that would give an opinion
\ IN favor of including pensions and that
Il all logic was against it.
II Logic, logic" Mr.. Lamont said the
II President exclaimed, 81 don't give a
damn for logic. i am going to include
PENSIONS =
There was not one of US in the
room whose heart did NOT peat with
/ IKE feeling" said Mr.. Lamont. -. j
Defends President
y am going to take this opportuni-
'y' he continued, "to- say word, in
general, as 70 President Wilson'S atti- :
lade at the peace conference. He is
accused of having been unwilling to
consult his colleagues. | never saw a
man more ready and anxious to con-
sat than he. He has been accused of
favlng been desirous to gain credit
LOT himself and to ignore others. I
never saw a man more considerate of
tose of his coadjutors who were work
ing Immediately under him, nor man
more ready to give them credit with
as other chiefs of state.
!, President Wilson undoubtedly had
nS disabilities. If it came to horse
tuade, Lloyd George could undoubtedly
4 nave out -jockeyed' him; but it seldom
preacned such situation, because
resident Wilson, by his manifest sin
II y aitu pPSli CdHuOi, always Saying
1 precisely what he thought, would early
| Visarm S his opponents in argument.
| PRESIDENT Wilson did not have a
wei! organized secretarisl staff. He
| va Tar too much Of the work himself.
| "a !; execution we all have blind spot
| u ~, some part of our eye. President
VISIONS was his inability to use men;
a. "a inability, mind you, not a refusal.
| oa the contrary. when any one of us
4 e!unteered or insisted upon taking
SsssspGnsibility off his shoulders, he was