Evening star., 1922-04-14
FRENCH SEE RUIN
mus. 'A[OOFNESS'
Statesman Asks American
i Aid in Solving War Debt
Problem.
SEES EXCHANGE CRISIS
Declares This Country Cannot Be
i Paid Until Germans Meet
I Obligations.
SEES EXCHANGE CRISIS
BY WILLIAM f. NASH.


By Cable to The star and Chicago Daily News.
Copyright 1872.
PARIS, April 14.-In the belief that
1t might be useful for the United
States to understand the French point
of view on European finances, q
Frenchman of the highest rank, who
hitherto has consistently refused to
be interviewed, consented today to
give his opinion for publication in
the United States. He declined to per-
NIT the use of his name, but it may be
said that no one could be better
placed to know the facts.
THE payment of Frances debts to
the United States and Great Britain"
he said, depends on the collection OF
the indemnity from Germany. France
honors her signature. She has every
intention of returning the money she
borrowed from the. United States for
the prosecution of a common war. On
the, other hand she wishes the peo-
pie of America to realize that just as
the United States has a debtor in
France, so France has a debtor in
Germany. These debts are equally
valid. Moreover, given the present
state of the worlds finances, these
rs France would like to do so. she
cannot pay the United States without
collecting from Germany.
Wants U. 8. to Help Solve Problem.
'Tt seems to me that the United
States would facilitate the general
task If it would help us solve the
problem of the German reparations.
American attitude appears selfish to
. many European statesmen. Is the
z United States so sufficient unto Itself
that it can dispense with foreign mar.
kets? Can the United States AFFORD
10 antagonize the 3O0.0OO,000 GUS
live in Europe?
apparently. Judging from the Ber-
lin treaty and its attitude on the
question OF the allied debts the
United States wants to get all it can
out of Europe without participating
ally, l believe that If the United
States persists in it's attitude Of
naughty indifference it will lead to
stagnation in commerce and the
death of international exchanges. In
time it may even mean a return to
the standard Of economics which held
sway before the discovery of the new
world by Christopher Columbus"
German Reparations Discussed.
What do you think of the question
of German reparations?" the states
man was asked.
p contrary 10 Ine general Del1G1,
France is not uncompromising." he re-
piled. France will accept any method
of collection that assures her just due.
To ascribe the collapse of the German
mark to the principle of reparations
is to reason falsely. In reality the
fall is due to the activity of the print
ing presses. If the Germans had not
undertaken a formidable program of
public improvements after the -armis-
tice and financed them by paper money
rather than by internal loans. the
value of the mark would not have de-
clined so much. Even now II Is not
too late to- improve matters The
marks exchange value would 60 up
tomorrow If the reichstag would issue
internal loans and reform German
finances as demanded by the repara-
tions commission. France knows this
from her own experience"
Attitude Toward Russia.
Questioned as to the attitude Of
France toward Russia at the Genoa
conference. the statesman declared
that the reconstruction Of that un-
. happy country depended quite as
much on politics as on economies.
France could collaborate in that re-
construction only after the bolsheviki
. had given guarantees to institute an
: honest levy of taxes. Such guaran-
ties he said. might assume the form
sOf capitulations such as the allies
enjoin in Turkey or individual con-
cessions to each separate state.