The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1922-08-10
u. S. WILL NOT
CANCEL DEBTS
Treasury Department UnOffiCiaIIy
Informs England of Amer
iCa'S Stand.
STATEMENT MADE BY MELLON
Senator Borah Issues Warning That
the Senate viii Turn Deaf Ear
TO Any Proposals for War
Debt Cancellation.

Washington, Aug 5,--The Treasury
department served informal notice
upon Great Britain that her war debt
to the United States annot be can
celed At the same time Senator
Borah issued a warning that the sen
ate will turn a deaf ear to any pro
posals for cancellation.
The Treasury department statement
was that Great Briiain's note to her
debtor nations suggesting cancellation
of the whole interallied Indebtedness
will have no effect upon this govern
ments policy with reference to its
war credits The fact that the note
was not addressed to the United
States makes It a diplomatic impossl-
bility for this government TO address
Great Britain directly upon the sub
ipct The statement was therefore
regarded as an indirect reply to the
British proposition
Secretary Mellon takes the position
that Great Britain has formally ac-
knowledged her war debt to this gov
eminent and has indicated her will
inguess to pay. Therefore he holds
the American funding commission
must continue its negotiations without
regard to Great Britain's suggestion
for a general cancellation.
Senator BOrah, in his statement, de-
clared: There is nothing to be
gained by our canceling this debt, or
any part { it, If the gigantic military
and armament programs in Europe
are to continue It would amount III
practical effect to oW aiding and abet-
ting the building up Of these great
military and armament establishments
and thereby abettin~ war If canceIla-
ton is TO be considered at all, it
should be considered in the interest
of humanity, Of economic sanity and
not to enable these countries to build
up and maintain these military es-
tablishments, these great a~r les which
are now burdcning and torturing and
throatenin' Europe, and which will
lead inevitably to greater suffering,
more misery and more war within
the last week the premier Of England
has declared:
keep your ey, on what is hap
penng They (the nations of Eu-
rope) are constructing more terrible
machines than even the late war ever
saw, What for? Not for peace,
What are they fer? They are not
even TO dispense armies, they are to
attack cities unarmed where you have
defcnseless population, to kill, to
main, to poison. to mutilate, to burn
helpless women and children.
Nov, if this is the situation and
this IS the program and this cannot
be changed, It Is more or less an i'm
pertlnence to talk about Cancelng
debts in the name of economic re
Mobilization. If thess plans and
schemes are to continue, to 20 for.
ward, we cannot help Europe by can
ceiling our debt to France, or any
part Of II. l feel, therefore, that in
order to interest anybody who is in
terestcd in humanity, or the cause Of
peace, or the restoration of economic
sanity, all schemes for cancelng
debts should be accompanied by a
practical plan for disarmament
"Thp Washington conference adj
iournod last February. The senate Of
the United States ratified tho treaties
| think, in April The treaties are
yet. however to be considered by for
clgn countries I observe by the press
dispatches that the assembly In France
has adjourned and that these treaties
viii not even be considered before
October They were not so much as
considered by the committee. accord
ing to the same Dispatch And even
# they are ratified ultimately, the
spirit Of the movement has been
crushed and the great cause of dis
armament halted and scotchcd by the
delay ana utter loss OF interest In the
proposition.
"If we cancel these debts II would
appear therefore that At would simply
NJ into this scheme Of armamcnts. Of
huge land forces, Of more wars, and
thereby more debts. SO the vicious
circle continues"