The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1922-04-21
TRY To SAL VAGE
j. 6. WAR MONEY
Members of Funding Committee
Meet al Washington.
OUTLINE A TENTATIVE PLAN
Decided Not to Hold Any Joint Con-
versations-Great Britain Will
Be Consulted First, Then
France, So on Down.

Washington, April 1S.-Salvaging of
| the United States governments eleven
| thousand million dollar interest in the
| financial wreck of Europe was put un-
| der way today, it was announced by
| Secretary Mellon.
The foreign debt funding commits
sion, which will direct the salvage
| work, met in Secretary Melons office
| at 10 a. m. to formally organize and
| discuss plans for carrying on the OPP
| eratiOns. Mr.. Mellon is chairman.
| The other members are Secretary Of
State Hughes, Secretary of Commerce
Hoover, Senator Smoot and Repre-
| sentative Burton.
Tentative plans as outlined by
| Chairman Mellon contemplate separate
| negotiations with each of the debtor
| nations. SO far as practicable, negOtia-
| lions will be carried on with only one
of the foreign governments at a time
| with Great Britain first on the list
1t may be found advisable to begin
| conversations with one power before
| an agreement finally is closed with
| the government preceding it, if such
| course will make possible saving
| of time, it was emphasized, however,
| that there will be no joint negotiations
| with any of the debtor nations.
| No Joint Conversations.
Joint consideration of the war debts
| owing the United States by the allies
| is a contamination which has been de-
| vOutly desired by all the debtor gov
| ernmentS from the time they were
! forced to give up their dream Of can
! collation. and face the fact that they
| would be called upon to pay. But
| joint conversations could avail the
United States nothing, while they
| might afford an opportunity for the
| foreign negotiators to SO shape their
| program as to confront this govern
| ment with unnecessary embarrassment.
| AS soon as the commission definitely
| agrees on plan of action invitations
| will be forwarded through diplomatic
| channels to the debtor governments to
| send representatives to Washington to
| discuss funding arrangements and re-
| sumption of interest payments, which
| nave been suspended for three years.
All of the foreign delegations will not
| be brought to this country at the same
| time, however. The British will be
asked to come over first. When the
! commission is able to estimate about
when they will be finished with them,
the French will be invited to appear
| at definite date and so on.
Won't Call Russia.
Only the Russians, of all the debtor
| countries, will not be called n to ne
! gotiate. Secretary Mellon declared
| that as to the debt of $1S7, 100000
owing the United States by Russia,
| there lis nobody to take it up with"
The soviet government, which sue
ceeded the Kerensky regime to which
the money was loaned, has not yet
been recognized. All the Treasury de-
partment has to show for the $187 ,O0O,-
600 are the |. O. US of Boris Bakh-
| meteff still recognized as Russian am
| baSsadOr in spite of the fact that his
| government has not been in existence
| for four and half years. And in
TIC SONACI ACFCI
has recognized Bakhmeteff's l. O. US
as binding obligations.
| Should the Russian government be
recognized during the life of the COM
mission, which runs for three years, it
then will be asked to send representa-
tives here to deal with the funding of
the war debt.