The Washington herald., 1922-12-29
Vote on Amendment Probably
will Come Tomorrow, and
Its Defeat Seems Inevitable
FUTILE, AYERS PRESIDENT
eorah, in Interchange With
Johnson, Virtually Admits
That Proposal Will Be Killed
By JAMES r. NOURSE.
Uuiversal Servtre

t"htNt.ah CtrsfOcs
Senate opposition to the
Borah proposal to involve the
United States in the settlement
of reparations and other Eu-
ropean problems was strength
ened yesterday by a letter
from President Harding to the
Senate asking that the meas
ure be killed.
The Presidents letter, written
70 Senator Lodge and read at the
latter's request in the Senate, is
believed to have made defeat of
the Borah plan inevitable.
SHOWS ITS FUTILITY.
Opponents claim they will have
at least fifty votes against the
Borah amendment when the vote
il taken. probably tomorrow. They
concede the votes of nine Republi-
cans for it. as follows: Borah,
France, Capper. Ladd, Norbeck,
Norris. McNary. Brookhart and
Stanfield. Two Democrats, Reed
and Shields. will vote against il.
OuI Nihil
the calling Of a conference to dis
cuss limitation of land armament,
submarines. aircraft and lesser ma
val craft would be futile a. none
of the nations which participated
in the Washington conference are
willing 10 discuss these matters
again.
INSISTS ON DEBT PAYMENT.
IN
tions and other financial questions
In Europe would he highly unda-
sirable, the President declared, be-
cause ii would convey a false i'm
preston to the peoples abroad and
also to the American people.
Moreover. the United States will
not consent to discussion of rep
arations in connection with the
debts to the United States. the
President said. and Europe demands
the linking of the two questions
in any discussions which are held.
The President pointed out vigor-
ously that the United States has no
thought of discussing cancellation
Of these debts. and so long as this
position is maintained, Europe will
refuse to join in any discussions.
LODGE ANSWERS BORAH.
In further explaining the Presi-
dents position, it was emphatically
stated by Senator Lodge that the
President stands absolutely opposed
to any proposal to cancel the debts
The negotiations now being con-
Quoted by the White House and
the State Department are confined
solely to discussion of the rate of
interest and extension of time for
the amortization of the debts, SEN
ator Lodge said.
1t was intimated TO Senator
Lodge that the President may ask
Congress to amend the law Great
ing the Debt Funding Commission
In order to permit these things to
be sanctioned. Asked by Senator
Borah TO explain what the nego-
tiations now going on are about.
Senator Lodge said:
81 am not in a position to state
precisely what they include. al
though I think it is very obvious
TO every one what their limitations
might be. | can say what they
do not include. They do not in
clude cancellation Of the debt. 4
asked that question of the Presi-
dent. and he said the Administra-
tion has been steadily against can
collation. Of the debt. and is now"
WOULD BE USELESS.
The Presidents letter contained
sharp criticism of the assumDtions
upon whic hthe Borah amendment
is based. pointing out that 1t i'm
plies that the Executive is not fully
alive to world conditions. and furth-
ermore that Senators who desired
TO be informed as to what this
Government is doing could have
satisfied themselves by applying
to the State Department for the
necessary information.
It was also stated by the Presi-
dent that the United States is not
in a position to dictate to any of
the nations of Europe on the SUBJ
Ject of what one nation should pay
nor as to how much another nation
should receive. For these reasons,
It was pointed out. such a confer
enCe as proposed would be useless.
Debate on the Borah amendment
Included speech by Senator Nc
Cormick of Illinois against 1t. and
speeches in favor of it by Heflin
of Alabama. Caraway of Arkansas,
France of Maryland and McNary
OF Oregon.
BORAH VS.. JOHNSON.
II was announced lnat senators
Hiram johnson. George II. Moses,
and James E. Watson will oppose
the proposal in speeches today and
that Senator Capper Of Kansas will
support it.
During the debate an interest
ing colloquy between johnson and
Borah revealed the extent to which
these two leaders of the irreconcil-
able group in the Versailles treaty
fight have been separated by Borah's
proposal BOrth said he was fully
aware that an attempt would be
made to have the amendment
thrown out on a point Of order,
- and that the Vice President would
sustain the point. adding:
Il am not going to offer the
amendment until the debate is