The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-10-10
WELSHMAN TURNS
TRIP INTO CRUSADE
FOR HUGHES PLAN
Lloyd George Hammers Idea
That Allied Nations Ac-
cept Common Sense
BY LAWRENCE MARTIN

DntteQ ETeSS SLuH Correspondent
TORONTO, Oct. 10.-Turning a
mere holiday into a crusade, Lloyd
George today had become the mission
airy to America of international coop
Grafton in the interest of world stabil-
ity and peace.
Instead of confining his American
journey to a few fiowery speeches OF
gratitude to Canadians and Ameri-
cans for their aid in beating Germany
in the war. he had seized upon ten.
uous thread Of encouragement from
Washington to convert his tour into a
demand that the allied governments
accept the Unitd States plan for set
ting the reparations problem.
From now on that is the note Lloyd
George will sound increasingly upon
this continent. He knows that land
wires and cables are carrying to the
millions of America and Europe his
views about the wisdom of accepting
the Hughes plan for a commission Of
many's condition and decide her ca
pacity to pay reparations.
Created Political Issue
Lloyd George has. within the past
two days, injected himself enew into
British politics and probably has Gre
ated a political issue for 1924 in the
United States.
His attitude Is one Of the strongest
criticisms for the British government
for not having ere this brought pres
sure TO bear upon France to accept
the Hughes suggestion. France stands
in the way of that plan. No longer
ago than August OF this year the
British foreign minister. Lord Curzon.
proposed the Hughes plan to France
in note and it was sunnmarily re-
ieeted. But Lloyd George holds that
the British and other allied govern
ments ought to put pressure to bear
on France to make her government
consider the Hughes plan.
Pressure Is Urged
The allied governments. by putting
enough pressure on France. could
make 1t impossible for France to re-
fuse consideration OF any plan the
United States might suggest, Lloyd
George declared.
His sudden interest in this question
rests upon the merest indication from
Washington that the Administration is
still willing to discuss the Hughes
T Ian. That hint was all Lloyd George
needed.
This should have been taken up
long ago" he declared. ''It was a
terrible blunder when It was over
looked--a blunder of the sort that
leads to catastrophe. He told how,
when the Hughes plan was first an
nounced, he was in Spain. He cabled
at once to his parliamentary rep
resentatives in London to see that
the Government was interrogated.
COmmon-Sense Plan
"The Hughes plan he told his
dinner audience at Ottowa, lis a wise
common n-sense plan. I sincerely hope
1t Will be taken up at once. Nobody
doubts Germany should pay. But
after you have obtained your verdict
of damages against a man. you have
got to decide whether to smash him
and get nothing or to take whatever
is practicable to get. The latter
course is the Hughes plan. based on
an expert examination of Germany's
capacity to pay. 1t is the plan Of the
present and the former German gov
ernment.
Europe is in bad way But you
should not abuse it. If given a
chance 1t will settle down and once
more become as good as a customer
as ever of the United States and
Canada. The Hughes plan points the
way"
America and Britain, Lloyd George
said, will ever stand together as
guardians of the worlds peace.