The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1921-12-16
BORAH
DISCUSSES DEBTS
WOULD CANCEL NATIONS OBLI-
CATIONS IF VERSAILLES
TREATY REVISED

New York-(A. P.)-Senator Viii
liam E. Borah, of Idaho, declared il
an address tonight that he would
vote in the senate for cancellation O.
every dollar of Europes debt to this
country if Europe would put herself
right by revising the Versailles treaty
so that the mass of her people coulG
benefit in the original spirit of the
peace"
Unless this was done, he told mem
bers of the Maine Society of New
York, he would not be disposed to
lend sympathetic ear to suggestions
he said were going the rounds" to
forgive eleven billion dollars owing
from allied countries.
II understand the scheme" said the
senator, "that would have us forgive
that Indebtedness, but l say that if
we are called upon to help Europe,
Europe must show us that she will
help herself"
Senator Borah launched bitter at
tack on the Versailles pact, asserting
that it had "broken up races and
completely prevented the laws of eco
nomics from operating"
Europe" he said, could never re-
cover from her economic and political
ills as long as the treaty remained
unchanged"
He summed up with the statement
that world welfare depended upon
taking three steps toward peace.
These he said, were:
Complete revision of the treaty Of
Versailles. complete disarmament by
all countries, in which the present
conference at Washington would be
but a beginning; and education of
public opinion to feel that force no
longer controlled the affairs of men"
He attacked the alleged reaction
ary utterances" of Premier BRAND
at the Washington conference. He
said they expressed only the war
psychology" of three years. The
world, he said, had stopped short in
the midst of crisis in international
affairs, three years after the apparent
dawning of better things through the
signing of the armistice. The i'm
provement 1--WE had a right to expect
he declared, had not been realized,
adding that scarcely a nation in Eu-
rope was solvent, scarcely a people
going forward or rebuilding it's social
or industrial system.
Turning to the subject of arma-
nent limitation, Senator Borah said:
1--WE must either disarm or give up
The sum of $16,442, ,000,-
100 was spent for military purposes
n 1920, two years after the war clos
ID. 1t is impossible to build up en-
erprise under such conditions. They
lu]l the initiative Of business.
How can such great burden be
,arried without great taxes? How can
We reduce expenses without reducing
he burden? How can congress or
he senate relieve business except by
educing these things that eat up all
he profit?
"I favor continuance of the great |
difference until the people and pub
ic opinion force disarmament, until !
here is left enough armament only
o be a police force for a nation.
"The conference in Washington has
ow been in session month. I have /
My praise for Mr.. Hughes and his |
conduct will place him
mong the great secretaries of state
nd premiers of the world
81 assume that they have done the
est they could but / say that If we
re going to have relief from the con-
ition Of the world this conference
lust make more than a beginning in
le great fight for disarmament"