Evening star., 1923-02-16
MAY VOTE ON DEBT
FUNDING BILL TODAY
Senate Limits Debate to Ten
/ Minutes for Each Speaker
| After 2 O'Clock.

The Senate resumed discussion OF
the British debt-funding bill today
under an agreement to limit debate
after o'clock and vote before ad-
Sournment, even though night ses-
Sion should be required. Leaders, now
ever, expected a vote before night;
since passage of the measure had
been conceded by opponents, and the
discussion was described yesterday as
nearly exhausted.
e The agreement confines each sena-
Cor speaking after o'clock TO ten
minutes and provides. at the lnsis.-
ence of Senator La Toilette, repub-
1ican, Wisconsin, that the~chair snail
not keep a list of members to recog-
nize for addresses. The arrangement
was offered late yesterday by Senator
/ earlier efforts to bring about a unan-
tmous consent agreement for vote
had been blocked by Senator Reed,
democrat, of Missouri, vigorous op-
ponent of the measure.
The final day of debate opened with
en attack upon the bill by Senator
ia Toilette republican. Wisconsin,
who urged that the terms of the pres
ent law be maintained.
Objecting to the and 312 per cent
interest rates and sixty-two-year ma
rurity term of the British agreement,
ne said no rates should be accepted
lower than those chargeable on
liberty bonds. He charged both
Great Britain and France with i'm
perialistic" policies. and declared
tireat Britain's colonies now are
being charged 5 per cent on loans
from the London government
The Senator from Utah Mr.. Smoot,
manager of the funding bilD, has as
cured us that it is good business to
fund this loan for sixty-two years
ON 3k per cent basis" said Senator
Ia Toilette, 'if this is good business
why would it not be better business
20 loan to American farmers at 3hs
per cent for siXty-two years!
Scores Senator smoot.
LAS 1 have listened to the defense
OF this proposed settlement. have
some times thought the chancellor OF
the British exchequer was speaking.
so eloquently and with SO much feel
ing does he (Senator SmooD present
The case for the British Empire.
He has painted a Sau picture OF the
heavy taxes which the British people
have to pay, but he has not told
us what part of those taxes go to
maintenance of the greatest navy
in the world; what part represents
the cost of keeping in subsection the
people of India and Egypt; what part
was spent for crushing the struggle
of the Irish people for genuine inde-
pendence; what part went to Greece
IDT the CIcSlHUlS HI tic iicdi
east out of the fire; what part Is
now being spent in the struggle of
British capitalists and the British
government to monoplize the oil of
the world
Propaganda of British and Amer
lean f1nanciers has been active be-
hind the bill. Senator La Toilette
said, attacking especially the pro-
vision allowing Great Britain to use
liberty bonds in payment. He said
this would tend to depreciate the
American securities.
Senator Mccormick, republican, IL
1inois, supporting the bill as step
toward world stability criticized the
French Ruhr policy, declaring it had
been "unproductive of any economic
or financial benefit to the French"
. and continued:
1T would seem that some of the
governments of continental Europe
for the most part have decided to
commit economic suicide. They are
destroying their own credit and that
of their neighbors This settlement
ought to appeal to us partly because
it is lever, so to speak, upon which
we can press for payment of the $5,-
600, 100000 due us from the other
great creditors. Beyond that it is a
just settlement and takes cognizance
of the general industrial depression"