Evening star., 1923-01-22
U. S. Paid Allies Cash.
Writer Cites Payment for Privi.
leges in Square Deal"
To the Editor of The star:

To the Editor OF The Star:
In The Star of January Is, written
by Rev. w. Clews for, your editorial
page, appears an article favorilg
| cancellation of part or whole Of the
| var debt. under the heading. Square
Deal to Britain" There are no doubt
| many Americans who were surprised
at the intimation that the United
States did not give her allies a
square deal" l would like to sug.
gest that the writer read the report
of the committee on judiciary of the
United States Senate. which Is filed in
| the Senate; and the reports Of our
War Industries Board and Of the
liquidating commission. The latter
| can also be obtained through the
| Senate.
He may be enlightened and possi-
bly, shocked to find that the United
| States gave her allies more than q
Square deal" but that the allies
| method to gain few dollars. gold,
| from the United States. While the
| United States was neutral, the allies
\ entered into an agreement among
| themselves to control war prices, so
| that each should receive benefit there
! from. When the United States got
| into the war she was excluded from
| this agreement. The European coun-
tries which had been driven to join
| themselves as allies by common
enemy assumed this attitude: "Amer-
| lea is a new country; she Is a wealthy
nation. Tax her to the limit" This
! they did. THE Yank has no business
! intuition, and more money than he
knows what to do with. Why not cut
him down a few billion?" Which
they did
| DR.. Clews continued: England was
! forced to buy her war necessities in
| America. therefore the money re-
! ma ined here" This is an unfounded
and preposterous statement. Britain
/ bought her goods in London. from
| tant profiteers prices, whereas the
| London merchants bought goods in
America and imported them into Eng
land at prices controlled by our Amer
lean board OF control All of the
money borrowed in the United States
used for further prosecution of the
war. but large amount of it was
used to pay old debts.
| During the war, did the allies think
| OF II as being everybody's war, and
did they suggest that all the essen
! tials be contributed in common for
! the carrying on of the war? No, No.
| Why did they not? Because the Unit
| ed States of America was paying
them cash for all her privileges and
! necessities. America did pay cash.
! good American gold and silver, for
! the transportation of her troops. for
| billets for the housing Of troops. for
! railroad transportation, for land in
! which she dug trenches and on which
| she constructed railroads. for ter
rain which had to be occupied by
| American troops Are the allies will
| ing to return the cash. dollar for dol
| lar, that the United States paid in
! gold. for the debts which she in
| Cured during the war? Decidedly
/ not What they have, they want to
! keep; what they owe. they want to
, be forgiven. If the allies will re-
| turn the money paid in cash TO them
| by the United States during the war.
then ] see no reason why we should
| not forgive them their debts.
| Why does not the gentleman sug-
gest that the allies be given uncon-
| ditional permission to tax the people
| of the United States to their hearts
, content. without giving US any voice
! in the assessing or apportioning of
| the taxes we pay? In other words.
| are we ready to turn the government
+! OF our country over to the countries
/, of Europe, which have as yet to prove
! that they can govern themselves? No!
| European dictation is thing of the
! past. JOHN A. SMITH.