New-York tribune., 1922-02-07
Debt Funding Bill Held
.Scuere Bloc TO France

fNklS. fch. . ~ he ASSOcla tc d
Frcss). Tho passage of the Allied
debt rcfunding bill by the American
Congress is regarded by most Of the
Frcnch press as severe blow TO
France. The newspapers o-day gen
orally attribute what they call tho
harshncss Of tho American attitude to
succcssful German propaganda.
1t is pointed out in various editorials
that France must now pay the United
states annually 800 900 900 paper
francs in interest, while tho maximum
cash she can reasonably expect from
Germany viii be 50 Per cent Of 700
oo0.ooO gold marks the amount fixed
at the recent Supreme Council meeting
- Cannes, or about 100 600 900 paper
francs.
enc interest and amortization in
twenty five years OF Frances debt to
tho United States, the editorials say.
will absorb not only all her cash
separations payments. but the greater
part cf the values Of deliveries in kind
by Germany Hence. they say, France
will be unable to count upon anything
during twenty-five years for the rcstor-
alton of her devastated rcgiS,s. The
work OF reconstruction. it = said. will
either have 10 be discontinued or
France must continue coating interior
loans and increasing the interest
charge for that purpose
Tnge of Bitterness in Comment
The comment is m ostly moderate. but
here and there tingc Of bitterness
appears for the frat time in the lead
ing editorials on relations with the
United States. The echo dc Paris"
cites a statement by Bernard Baruch
in support Of its assertion that France
will be obliged to pay for war ma
teria intended for the use Of Amcri-
can troops in March and April. 1918.
but which was used by the French be
cause the Americans were not yet
ready and French soldiers took their
places in the front lines.
at is an absolutely rigid plan in
which no place is accorded 20 the
thesis that the war Vas waged in the
common interest OF the Allies and as
sociatcs.' says the "Echo.'
at is hard blow" says The On
transgeant." "Di sc redit, born OF Ger
man propaganda since the beginning of
the Washington conference, has done
its work. But if the blow is hard, it
has reverse side, and it will be in
teresting to watch the Genoa confer
cncc and its efforts to Tighten Ger
many's burden. is tightening the
French burden less necessary to re-
establish the equilibrium Of Europe ?"
AlIude TO Propaganda
"LHommc Libre" says: "When we
demand few Of the millions due us
Ganda, accuse us Of black meanness
toward good Germany, and if we are
in no hurry to repay the billions in
scrbed on our debit as counterpart
to munitions and provisions used at
the front we are no more than beg
gars, without dignity, and militarists. :"
Nj. Lemery, Senator from Mart-
riqUe. asks in the "hclair": HAS Shy
lock passed to the other side Of the
Atlantic ?" Apropos Of suggestion
said to have been made in the Amer
icsn press that France. if she cannot
pay cash. should cedc the French West
Indies to the United States, Senator
Lemery says: "Thc Antilles may be
wrested from France by violence as
were Alsace and Lorraine, but they
are not for sale and will not be volun-
tarily ceded."
BON Soir" notes that all hope Of
financial aid from the United States
has vanished. Far from aiding us"
it adds. they render our situation
more nearly inextricable. We can
count only upon ourselves. They de-
mand their due, but they leave US
alone to get ours"
Reaction Toward Germany Seen
The journal des Debats" thinks
Germany's success with propaganda in
the United States will turn against
her. 1t says: "lf the bad opinion her
propaganda has spread across the A.
lantc results in the claim for paw
ment OF war debts under disobligi ing
conditions, it is Germany who must
first pay US. We viii pay only after
having been paid. The pressure which
y is sought to bring to bear upon us
IRON different sides may cause explo-
SONS from which VIC shall not be thc
only sufferers"
The "Journal dos Debats." as we'll
as NJ. Bainville. editorial writer for
ia Liberte.' attributes the present
attitude Of the United States to COM
r'ete ignorance Of the masses of Euro
rean questions and TO the necessities
OF party politics in the interior of the
United States.