Evening star., 1922-12-24

almost eight. hundred times AZ great as
that Of Germany. and the debt OF the
British is moro than one hundred and
dfty times greater.
At the same time it IL said that GER
tain Of the German fnanciers and in
dustrial companies have been sending
their profits out Of the country and in
vesting them in foreign credits or de-
posting them in foreign banks in pound
or dollar accounts. The amount Of these
money exports is said to be in the
neighborhood Of $1,000. .o00, 900. It re-
minds one OF the bankrupt who puts all
his money in his wife's name just be-
fore failure. 1t made Lloyd George
think Of what the situation will be when
the mark goes to nothing and the in
ternal debt Of the Germans is entirely
wiped out He said: when that time
comes England must beware Of a well
equipped Germany with sixty millions
Of people competing with such debt
laden countries as France and Great
Britain. which are her industrial rivals
I may find l have a different opinion.
after / have travelled through Germany;
but Just now, sad as II is. I am re-
minded Of THAT japanese saying! 'Tt is
to laugh!' / do not wonder that Ger
many can undersen all other nations to
such an extent that tourists now ar
irving in Paris tell me how they have
bought silk evening dresses in Ham
burg for less than five dollars and
stockings in Berlin for one cent a pair.
X X X
THE suggestion that America should
i cancel the. debt OF Great Britain.
which is worth one hundred cents On
the dollar. in return for Great Britain
canceling such debts as that Of Russia
and OF several small nations whose
paper Just now has no value in the
worlds markets, seems ridiculous 10
the man on the street. So also does
Lord Balfour's statement last August
that Germany's debt to Great Britain is
between Elk and seven billion dollars.
We all know that almost two thirds of
that debt, say four billions or more, is
made up Of charge by the British for
pensions and reparation allowances
which, SO far. We have had no offer
from the allies to give Uncle Sam. Our
pensions during this war have already
amounted to claims numbering more
than 100000. on which We paid last
year over a quarter of a billion Of dol
lars. Would Great Britain recognize
our right to the repayment Of that out
Of the money to be got from the Ger
mans? This payment would be on ex-
actly the same basis as much Of Ger
many's alleged debt to Great Britain.
But We do not want any other nation
to pay for our pensions. We did not
go into the war to make money, and
when the war closed We did not capt.
talize our support by demanding great
colonies in Africa, oil fields in Asia OF
the partition Of the islands of the far
east. We do not boast Of our war
charities, although they aggregated
over four billion dollars, only a little
less than all the British owe US. We
know that the war cost US nearly twice
the reparations now asked OF Germany.
and that the money came for the most
part from both our poor and well-to o-do.
who shimped and saved to buy Liberty
bonds. we do not want anything but
fair play and square dealings. and ask
only that France, Germany and Eng
land should lay all their cards on the
table and do what they can.
("Carpenter's World Travels" Copyriehtsd
1922. by Frank G. Carpenter)