The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-01-07
Members win Insist Upon Ad-
herring to Terms Specl-
fled by Act Of Congress
PARLEY TO BE sPEEDED
Visitors Hopesto Finish Work
In Claim to Have No
Definite Proposal as Yet
By WILLIAM r. FLYTHE.
Universal Service.

lof the British debt mission Il
force acceptance of Britain,s terms
In the settlement Of more thar
four billions in war obligations thu
American commission late yester,
day decided to demand payment il
full under the law.
FR0WN ON MODIFICATION.
with an understanding OF whai
the British will asI--a reduction
LOT the rate Of interest and extern
sion of the time Of payment, eli
revealed exclusively BY Universe
Service Saturday morning Sec
called Secretary Of State Hughes
Secretary of Commerce Hoover
Senator Smoot and Representative
Burton, the American commission
into executive session to reach an
agreement.
The commission decided, il was
learned on good authority, that the
American public win not look kindly
on any effort at evasion OF the
debt and that payment must be
made In accprdance with existing
requirements by Congress, or Con.
gress itself must change the law.
Heretofore we have never dis
eussed any particular arrangement
for paying the debt as suggested by
the visit OF the British mission to
The United States" said Secretary
Mellon. chairman Of the American
commission.
CONFER SWTTH HARVEY.
I'VE were faced with the problem
of going into q conference on Mon
day with the British delegation, our
first meeting, without knowing
among ourselves what we would do
We got together this afternoon and
reached an understanding. so far as
it was possible to do so with what
slight information we have as to a
definite proposal
Just prior to the conference Sec
rotary Mellon asked Ambassadors
Harvey, just recently returned from
Great Britain, to confer with him
and give him an insight into what
may be expected from the British
and the maximum ability OF the
British to pay.
! While the commissioners were IN
session Montagu ColIett Norman,
governor OF the Bank Of England
and one OF the British debt COM
missioners, made g hurried cali to
the Treasury to talk with Secretary
Mellon for q few minutes. He In.
sisted that he did not submit q pro-
posaI to Mr.. Mellon, but merely
wished tossee him about a routine
matter, and did not know the
American mission was holding a
meeting at the time.
NO DEFINITE PROPOSAL.
I'VE have nothing definite to sub
NIT to the American Government
he said. 1--WE simply wish to know
what can be done to handle situa-
ton that Is almost intolerable. We
propose to so into the conference
Monday and explain our position to
the American Government and see
IL we cannot reach an understand
Europe has reached the point
where something must be done.
There is q vicious circle Of debts
and reparations that must be
pierced somewhere before the world
can 60 on. The United States
seems to be the point.
"Ail Of us are hopeful that ar
rangements can be made. There
IL no other way out OF the tangle'
II we can succeed here and come
to some terms for easing up; we
will have made ten strike. We
are much closer to Europe than
you people here, and we know Eu'
rope il absolutely powerless. You
must believe me when I say that
we have no definite proposal. we
cannot have until we begin to talk
over the possibilities Of the situa
ton"
BOUND OUT SENTIMENT.
while the British mission came
To. this country with a definite pro
posaf--to cut the rate Of interest
from AZ per cent to 3h per cent
and extend the time payment to a
period o. between fifty and sixty
years-it was stated that this Will
Of negotiations.
The British. have put in their
time here in making what they
termed courtesy calls" which have
included every one in authority In
Washington, but these calls were
in reality for the purpose of sound
ing out sentiment. They have
found 1t so concrete, 1t was learned
that they have decided to go into
the conference with the idea. OF
getting the maximum rather than
stating as final what they proposed
HOPE TO FINISH IN WEEK.
At the same time, it was ex
planned by a British spokesman
there il no immediate urgency OF
action. Under the terms of tbs
debt. funding act of Congress per
iod of twenty-five years is allowed
in which the debt may be paid
During that time, II was stated
conditions may change so materially
that there viii be no necessity OF
further delaying payment.
Stanley Baldwin, chancellor of the
British exchequer, and Mr.. Norman
1.-THE chief members OF the commits
lsion, called on Vice President Cool
Iidge, Speaker Of the House GiIlett
Secretarv of State Hughes and sal
lin the House gallery for few min
lutes yesterday.
4 They win put In today collabOrat
ling on plan of procedure. In
Istead Of being here two weeks, III
planned. it was learned they hop.
ITO conclude by the end Of the week