The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-09-12

Washington. D. C. Sept 11.-A-
most al the allied gcvsfnmenes
to which the United States i'd
vsnced funds during the war have
appointed special commissions 70
meet the foreign. debt funding
commission, Of which Secretary Of
the Treasury Mellon ID chairman.
with : view to placing this indebe-
edness on . permanent basis. u.
Parmentier, representing the Re-
public OF France, already has
been In this country and has started
negotiations. The British mfssion
ID due this month and others Will
follow shortly.
A survey Of precisely what the
debt situation II. therefore. Is In
order.
Eliot Wordsworth, assistant sec
rotary of the treasury In charge OF
foreign loans, gives the latest fig-
ures on all sums owing to the Unit
ed States az q result Of the war and
! the post-armistice events. This
schedule represents the task to
which the foreign debt funding
commission has addressed itself
and indicates the great extent of
the burden which rests upon the
allies to arrange payment.
Twenty-seven nations signed the
treaty of Versailles which officially
terminated the European war. The
United States has made loans to 20
nations. This is an indication of
the invisible aid which the Ameri-
can people gave the allied cause
during the war, in addition to the
| visible assistance Of men, NUM-
tions and food.
A survey of what was advanced,
what 1t was used for, and what has
been repaid, should be Of interest
and value.
Great Britain heads the list Of
debtors. She borrowed $4,135,81S,-
358; she has paid $250,132,1s5 in
interest, but total accrued interest
amounts to $611,044. POI. bringing
the total debt due to $4,746, 1862 $50.
Great Britain used these funds In
the United States buying arms and
food, agricultural and manufactur-
ing implements, and a great va
riety OF other goods necessary to
the prosecution Of the war. She
lent other allies about $4,000. 000,-
900, so that all the money she Dor
rowed from the United States
/. amounted to only about half her
advances.
France borrowed $3,340.S57 1898 !;
she has paid interest Of $170.304,-
400; total accrued interest is $780,
049,062 and the net debt now due
is $3,770, 906,655. Practically all Of
this loan was spent in this country
for munitions and supplies.
Italy Our Third Debtor.
Italy stands third. She Dor
rowed $1.648,034,05O; she has paid
$57, 598,852; total accrued interest
is 45,4S0,5S3 and net debt, $780,
514,634. She used her money for
munitions and supplies and to sta
Billie her exchange with the Unit
ed States.
Belgium borrowed $377,123,745;
she has paid $14,609, 062; total ac-
tcrued interest amounts to $51 ,391, :
987 and net debt, $42S,515,7 1913. Bel
GUM bought munitions and sup
plies in the United States.
Russia, before the fall of the
czarist government which was our
ally, borrowed $192,601 ,297; she
paid interest amounting to $7,717,-
1888; accrued interest is $35.019,427
and net debt. 1927, SCOTIA. All Rus
sia's expenditures were for NUM-
tons and supplies in the United
States. The status of this loan is
much in doubt. The existing So
Wet government recognizes none
Of the old debts. 1t is not likely
Russia will be recognized by the
United States until Russia &C
knowledges this debt.
Sixth in the list of debtors
stands Poland. The loans to her
made after the treaty because
prior to that event she was not a
nation. Chiefly they were for food
and medical supplies. She Dor
\ rowed s135,662,S67; has paid in
lterest of s1,290.620; accrued inter
. est is $17,380,7S5 and net debt
; $153.043,652.
In the same class is Czecho- Slo-
, vakia, another treaty country. She