Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-08-04
BRITISH SEE HOPE
OF AVERT|NC CRISIS
Prospect OF Allied Reparations
Conference Now Overshadows
Balfour Note
WILL PAY AMERICAN DEBT
By Associated Press

~ HSoOt"t'U iE'hN
London. Aug 4.-Thc attitude of tn,
united States treasury department to-
ward the allied debt question indi
eated By Washington dispatches saying
the Balfour note would not affect the
American policy toward the payment
OF war debts has attracted universal
attention here
This, together with the emphatic
statement by the Chancellor of the FIX =
chequer in the House % Commons that
! Great Britain has no intention of sug
costing any alteration of her financial
! obligations 10 the United States. gave
a somewhat new direction to this morn =
ing $ newspaper comment on the ques
'tion of inter allied debts.
& There was. on the whole. a less nnx
1ous note to the editorials The pros
pect OF next week IS conference now
tends to overshadow the Balfour note.
and hope Is eagerly expressed that it
will lead to some arrangement between
the European allies which will avert the
ugly menace hanging over the Continent
through the reparatiOns and COgnate
questions.
Hope for Wider Conference
Further hope is ventured that the
meetings will prepare the way for "A
wider conference in which the United
states can participate. Referring 10
this hope. the Daily Mail says the con
ference in Washington tor the funding
or the British debt may assume greater
significance. and that Sir Robert Horne,
chancellor of the Exchequer. probably
Will be the principal British delegate.
IL adds that Anrba ssador Geddes Is
taking back important information re.
garding the British view for Communi.
cation to tn" Washington Government
Inc supposed division of opinion in
the cabinet regarding the British pol
icy toward th" debt problem seems re =
sponsibe for another revival of the
report that Prime Minister Lloyd George
contemplatcS an early election. |. is
stated that. If the conference Yields
nothing of value and Condition2 drift
from bad to worse. the Premier Is likely
TO resort 10 the dissolution of Parlin-
ment. with aH election in the autumn.
Speculation in this regard extends in
several directions, one idea being that
the policy Of Canceling the European
debts regardless of her own debt 10 the
United States will be adopted by Great
Britain. but that the work of carrying
out this program will te transferred to
other hands. to be chosen by an appeal
to the people.
Yesterdays debate in the House Of
Commons on inter allied debts and Ger
man rcNarationS. which it had been ex-
pected would bring out further inter-
eAting facts Respecting the recent note
of the Earl of Ralfnur on the subject
and regarding Great Rritains future
policy on the whole subject of intcrna-
tional obligations. proved disappointing
No Evasion Intended
During the five hours of debate there
was constant iteration Of Great
Pritains intention to repay her debt
TO the United States. but no pains were
spared to make clearly apparent Great
Britain sacrifices in the war. her gem
erous post -armisticp attitude and her
staggering burdens of taxation.
Sir Robert :. Horne, the Chancellor
of the Exchequer, said Great Britain
ihad no intention of suggesting any alter
'ation of her financial obligations TO the
United States: that the Government
recognized To the full Great Britain's
obligations 10 pay the debt and we do
not mean in any shape or form to evade
that Obligation
Sir Robert pointed out that the
British debt was greater than that OF
any other nation. amounting 70 e., 166,
O00, 900. compared with e.. l4T .OOO, 900
for the United States and t6,340, 600.
600 for France.
RenIiaS IN NSn,itb
NJ rro,I 1,
." - uefo''u me o"ru'h
VI nIs siLeocH !" 'rP'Hih2 !" Mr. AS
Qui'h, WHO'S" Feu!arKS Il" characterized
~ uhiortuhat'' "ecIhrlhg th"r" was an
absence el any concrete NuGgeSu1nS or
petter i"rmNIa lHah already mad been
auopteu lol 7oIUt!oh Oh 1me deDtS ana
reParatlohs Pu'su0ns' Inc Premier
called attention TO Mr.. Asquith's desire
Tor a cIeah sihte' re Haid thAt was
exactly What l"oru baliour note had
auvoca'ed.
Inc speech resolved itself into
rather detailed discussion OF German
PREPARATIONS, without any reference 10
Lord balfour note beyond n remark
At the outset that II was needless for
the Premier 20 add anything 10 Sir
Robert Horne abl" speech, in which
he declared Great Britain had no inten-
tion OF suggesting any alteration Of her
financial Obligations {" the | uitrd
states.
Ro,,r,tio,s EI,.u,
MI; hioS" N'prS" tihphaH'Z"d ma
the nrl'arnloIs Tn!li'>Sioh' a'tlnH
uhder tue lrrh'F "l N"rNa!II"s, had 'uc
power 70 I'F!S" 'n' amount ~ r"Da
the commission granted fnrmaI,y n
moratorium or decided to reduce the
amount OF IN" hnHuItl"~ " would lc