Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-02-05
BRITAIN ASKED US.
To CANCEL DEBTS
Suggestion Was Rejected,
Chancellor of Exchequer
Reveals
PROPOSALS ARE OFF
Announcement Made in Speech to Bir-
mingham Eoters-Treasury Oltc-
ials Silent.

Birmingham, England, REQ. 81 nc
British Government formally propos-
ed a cancellation Of all interAll;ed
debts, but the proposals were unac-
ceptable to the American Government
said j. Austen Chamberlain, Chancel-
lor Of the Excl1equer. in speech to
his constituents here yesterday.
"To make them again" Mr.. Cham
berlain continued, would be, ! think
beneath our dignity and would render
us liable to misconception of our
motive.
In making thern,' he added. we
sough!. no national advantage for our
selves. We proposed a solution in
which we should have foregone claims
larger than any renliued to US, and
we proposed it because we believe It
would be in the interests of good
relations among peoples, the rehaoi-
liation of national credit and the re-
storation of international trade.
"Our great international debt is due
to the obligations We undertook on be-
half of our Allies. If we had had only
ourselves to consider we should have
been particularly free of external debt
at the present time.
Mr.. Chamberlain prefaceG h:s re-
marks by saying that he would have
preferred at the close Of the war that
the whcle Intcrailied deat had been
wiped out. so as to start with a clean
ate. There was no proposal for a
settlement Of he international debt
among the Allied and associated pow
ers. whether for total or partial re-
mission, which the British Govern
ment would not have been prepared to
be party TO. he declared.
Washington, Feb. 5.--Treasury of.
ficials refused to comment last night
on the statement Of the British Chan
cel.or of the EXchequer. j. Austen
Chamberlain, in an address at Bir-
mineham, England, that the United
States Government refused TO accept
British Government proposals that
the Interallied debts arising from the
World War be Cancelled.
No mention has ever been made in
official circles here of any proposal
officially rendered by Great Britain for
cancellation Of the interallied debts,
but it was recalled last night that
Sir George Paish, the British fnan-
cial expert. who visited the United
States a year ago, put forward some
such proposal while in this country.
Sir Georges mission was not regard
ed by the United States Government
as official and consequently his pro
posal did not receive official consid-
Grafton.
In fact, 50 far as could be learned
last night. no officials here are aware
that the British Government has ever
through any official channel, proposed
: remission or cancellation of the
British war debt TO the United States.
Great Britain's Indebtedness cf about
81 900, ,OO0, 900 is far larger than that
of any ether Of the Allied countries.
but this is explained by the fact that
Great Britain herself was creditor
country and disbursed American fundS
10 her either Allies.
When Senator Knox, of Pennsyl-
vania, soon after President Wilson 5
return from Paris, introduced IN the
Senate a resolution proposing re-
mission Of the Indebtedness OF all tEe
Allied governments to the United
States on the theory that the Ailes
had been greater sufferers from the
war. British public opinion. as inter
pre7ei here, was quickly recorded as
declining to accept any SUCH renas-
sion.