, 1922-03-27
SENATE SUPPORTS THE SECRETARY.

The power of the United States senate is back Of
Secretary Hughes in his demand upon the allies for
payment of the expenses Of the army of occupation.
Politics is adjourned when it comes to the discussion
of that debt, and all rhades of political thought are
united in urging that the legal and moral rights Of the
United States In the matter be upheld.
This claim" says Senator Lodge, the Republican
leader, 'has nothing to do with the r~eparzton commits
sion. This was an agreement made under the armis-
tice, which we signed, and Of which we were a MEM
Der. That made the provision that the United States
troops should be paid for by Germany. 1t stands
wholly apart from our treaty of peace, and wholly
apart from the treaty of Versailles. 1t is not a re2ara-
ton, and the attempt to avoid it now is n mere tech
n;cality."
1--WE were invited by the supreme council" declares
Senator Underwood, the leader of the Democrats,
land by our allies to maintain a certain number of
troops on the border line at the Rhine, and in Justice
and fair play, the American government is entitled to
stand on the same basis as the other allied govern
ments and to receive from Germany its proportion of
reimbursement for the soldiers it has maintained on
the Rhine, just as the other governments are to re-
ceive reimbursement for maintaining their soldiers"
Senator Norris of Nebraska does not mince words
in his reference to the matter. when they (the al
Ies) collect the money from Germany to pay" sayn
he, "they pay the expenses of their own troops, re-
fuse to pay those of ours, and divide the balance of
the swag up among themselves. To my mind, that is
treating the American government with disrespect. 1t
is not fair, it is not honorable, and there have been
many times in the history of the world when diplo-
matte relations have been broken for causes much less
than that which exists now"
Other senators and members of congress have ex-
pressed themselves as forcibly as those quoted. Not
a word of criticism has been heard against the course
Mr.. Hughes has taken. 1t is realized by all that IL the
United Safes permits this claim to be lost through de-
fault, it will form n precedent that may seriously en-
barrass the collection of the other huge obligations
owed this country by Europe.
The legal position of the United States, based as it
is on the armistice agreement is admitted to be un-
assailable. So far as the moral aspect is concerned,
there is no more reason for renting the claim for
military expenses than there is for cancelling the cash
loans to Europe or the debts arising from the credit
sales of surplus war supplies, and supplies sold through
the American Relief administration and the American
Grain corporation.
1t is understood that Secretary Hughes has sent
identical notes for transmission directly to the allied
governments, and that eventual payment of the $241,-
600, 900 viii be firmly insisted upon; but the United
States will indicate its readiness to arrange terms and
conditions of payment that viii impose no undue hard
ship upon the allies. It is the same spirit in which
the other European obligations are to be settled
through negotiations by the foreign debt refunding
commission.