The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-12-30
RE;PARAT TON
Probe
SACUTE

III faS,l 90
Senator Borah Be
lieVess It Must Be
Settled Before D Debts
Are Paid
Washington, Dec. Express
ing eonfd dence that more mature
reflection would serve to diminish
Opposition TO his proposal that the
president call a conference OF world
powers for, discussion OF economic
questions and further reduction OF
land and sea armament, Senator
Borah; Republ bliean, Of Idaho, in q
formal statement tonight declared
that Eve have reached a point
twnere We are to lose all adyan-
.tages gained, at the Washington
arms conference unless a solution
OF the reparations problem g
found. =
The Idaho senator made no di-
rect reference to the statement -is-.
sued, last night by Senator John
son, Republican, OF California an
sotner irreconci1abi bic, in which the
Borah amendment to the pending
naval arms bill was assailed as 2
proposal which would dump into
Americas lap the economic Ills of
Europe and the reparations mud
de- 5s.sss
Senator Borah did mention, how
ever. opposition to the suggestion,
which. he said, was along the lines
Of that to the arms conference
when it first was proposed, Timid-
itys and opposition in that case
shifted he added. to very gem
eral support" as the proposal was
studied.
Discussing Europe's war debt to
the United States. Senator Borah
said some people seem TO be ex-
ercised over the cancellation OF this
debt. . dding::
s.sI am far more exercised over
Europe,s inability to pay.I haven't
any fear aboilt the open cancella-
ton of this debt. But no child now
living viii see its payment if the
subject of Preparations is permitted
Ito go from bad TO worse until an-
other war takes place.
We are interested in the repa-
ratiens question, however, because
|:We are interested in the payment
ef what Europe owes US. are
also interested In it because we
want European markets opened to
onr farm, products. Millions are
hungering and dying in Europe for
the products which are rotting on
Jour farms. Shall we say that these
matters do not cnoeern us !? Moth
ing concerns us more
Asserting that the reparations
tangle directly, Immediately, vi
tally concerned the United States.
Senator Borah declared:
s. It involved millions to our peo-
| pie and It may involve another
conflict am not over fond OF
conferences. but there are times
when they are helpful This
seems to besen Of these times. .
There are many precedents for
the conference he proposed. the
Senator said. adding that the Uni
ted States had participated official
ly in such conferences and with
European nations more than once
and had never hesitated to confer
with reference to economic, finan-
cial and commercial matters.
Such conferences" the state
ment continued. shave never been
regarded by the most Jealous ad-
vocates of our traditional policies
as in contrayention to them.
Declaring that no public man had
been more pronounced believer
in our traditional policies than
former President Roosevelt, the
idaho senator declared that Mr.
Roosevelt specifically endorsed
this kind of a conference and re-
gardsd such conferences as means
Of preserving the policies OF Wash
ington and Monroe .
E Lausanne, Dec. 27.-The British
through a. letter from Lord Cur
zon to Ismet Pasha today inform
ed the Turks they will never
abandon the Nlose,,l oil fields as
the Turks ask. The letter declares
the prolongation of the Near East
conference. would fail to induce the
British. to recede from their po-
sition. The letter declares the
British expelled the Turks from
the Moseul promising the Arabs
freedom from Turkish rule and
had given solemn promise to
bar foreign powers from the area
and intend to keep their word.