New-York tribune., 1921-02-14
Cancel Debt,
Britain and
France Asked
Continued from page ons)

Continued from page ons)
statement by J. Austen Chamberlain,
British Chancellor of the Exchequer,
that Britain had sought to have all the
inter-Alled debts cancelled, and that
the United States had refused Mr.
Chamberlain made 70 public statement
that this move on the part Of England
had been logical follow to the as
surance given by Mr.. Wilson while
far as cancelng any debts is con-
cerned, it is doubtful if any one in
Congress would make such a move,
even if down in his heart re might
believe it to be good thing economi-
cally for this country
Industrial Crusade Feared
That this last is not too far fetched
statement may bI seen by reading
over some of the speeches in the House
by Republican leaders, notably Nicho-
las Longworth, declaring that it would
be better to cancel the debts than to
Permit Europe to pay the United States
in goods, thereby building up ma
chine during the period of payment
which would swamp this country in
dustrially after the last debts were
paid.
At present, however, the feeling
Irish voters of this country that any
man in either house of Congress would
be apt to think three or four times
before doing anything which anti
British agitators in his state or dis
trlct could characterize as pro-British
action.
So there is little chance that any
proposal of canceling Allied debts to
the United States could be considered
by Congress on its merits, even if
there were a conviction that it might
be the sensible thing to do. Incidental
ly, the fear of permitting Europe, and
especially Germany, to pay it's debts
in goods is not general, although it is
fairly widespread. There is a consider
able element, headed by Senator PEN
rose, which believes that tariff barriers
should not be built so high as to make
such payments impossible.
The attitude in Congress, and indeed
all through the Admin nistration, toward
the cancellation of debts is typical of
every point at issue between Britain
diplomats of the two countries. 1t is
frankly admitted by some Of the men
most concerned that the normal ave
nues of solution of such tangles are
not open, for the reason that no Ameri-
can official or member of Congress who
IS looking forward to a political future
would care at this time to propose the
slightest concession to Britain on any
one Of these disputes,
Practical Politics Considered
It is much safer, from the practical
political standpoint of the individual
who expects to be candidate, to take
publicly strongly anti-British posi-
ton. Incidentally this may be con-
sidered bad diplomacy and poor pa
triotism, but there is no dodging the
TACT that most men in public life bow
quickly to loud clamors even from
strong minorties, since they have
learned by experience that those mi
norities seldom forget their enemies on
Election Day.
This is what makes the various con-
troversies in which this country is now
engaged with Great Britain so much
more serious than their intrinsic merit
would Indicate. 1t is one of the reasons
why Sir Auckland Geddes was sum
moned home to report to his Foreign |
Office. Diplomats of other powers here |
say that the British simply do not un-
derstand the present American atti- |
tude. 1t is difficult, these diplomats |
say, for British diplomacy to realize |
that there should be the kind of talk |
going on in America, while the great |
mass of American people, tolerant as
usual Of any noise a minority NAV /
choose to make, is really very little in
terested in the various disputes.