The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-10-04

American bankers are reported as inter
ested This. however, is taken mere 10
mean that European finaneiers are urg-
fEg that action through their American
connections. For. the fact rs the Amer
lean banking groups as such have not
asked our government to convene imam
cial conference and there is little likeli-
hood that such suggestion would meet
with favor. q o.. --..
Program Well Arranged
MANY reasons can be given for the
prevalency of this attitude. First, there
was good deal of criticism when our
government included Ear Eastern prob
lens in a discussion of armament limit
alton Some members of the cabinet
feared that to. include so troublesome a
onestion as relations with Japan might
involve the conference in endless discus
sion which would only force into the
background the real object of the gather
ing. namely. a reduction of armament.
This viewpoint has been answered by
Secretary Hughes by arranging the
agenda so that discussion of armament
will go on eoncurrently with the tackling
of Pacific problems. In other words com
mittees will work on all parts of the
agenda at the same time and the reports
will be taken up in no set order.
Got Business Enough --
As for including financial questions,
ference already bites off as much as 1t
can chew and that to lug in the intri-
cate subjects of war debts might only
produce antagonisms and disappoint-
mentS which might affect the success OF
the other conferences. European nations
may not as Yet be convinced of 1t but
the truth is our government is not in
the mood to talk cancellation of war debt
or even a general funding scheme, how
ever sound economically the basis for
such action might be. 4 glance at what
is happening in congress- it is contended,
ought to satisfy the European financiers.
President Harding's simple request for
power to negotiate with foreign govern
merits for the payment of principal and
interest owed us is held up largely be-
cause of a suspicion that such power if
granted might enable the executive toI
cancel the debts through acceptance of
European securities of doubtful value
IT, therefore, this power isn't granted
now. how much chance would there be to
get it if the European countries stirred
mp the question of cancellation of war
debts?
Want To Discuss Indebtedness
& Issues of European newspapers as
well as cable reports to American news
papers indicate a much more lively inter
est in the war debt in connection with
the Washington conference on armament
than is welcome here Unquestionably
the British and French delegations will
be composed of men who will be author
lied to find out in the most informal way
what can be done about funding indebted
ness. American officials could not de-
cline to listen to suggestions when made
at the dinner table or in other informal
conferences apart from the main program.
Much business is transacted that way in
international conferences, but Judging
by the appearance of things today in of
fetal quarters such advances will not
lead to anything tangible The Euro
peans will be told that cancellation is
out of the question at this time and that
even the talk of funding is premature
and will be inopportune until congress
grants the treasury department suffi-
ciently broad powers to enter into nego-
tiatiOns with the creditor governments.