The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-02-10
DEBT PLAN |S RATIFIED BY HOUSE
Sixty-three Democrats Join Republicans in Approving Settlement Adopted by
 British and American
 Joint Commission

Approval of the British debt set clement agreement was voted to- day by the House, 291 to A.
 One republican, Mccormick, of Montana, and 43 democrats op- posed the settlement, while 227 republicans, 63 democrats and one socialist member, Meyer London, of New York, voted for it.
 Democrats opposing the settle ment were:
 Abernathy and Hammer, North Carolina; Almon, Bowling and Ste gall, Alabama; Blanton, Box, Gar rett, Hudspeth, Jones, Mansfield and Sanders, Texas; Brand and Lankford, Georgia; Carew, Cullen, Meade and Riordan, New York; {; Collier, Collins, Lowry, Johnson, Quinn and Rankin, Mississippi; i; Oldfield, Parks, Taylor, Tillman and Wingo, Arkansas; Dominick, Logan and McSwain, South Caro- lima; Ferrot, O'Connor and Sand lin, Louisiana; Johnson, Rouse and Thomas, Kentucky; Rainey and Sa- bath, Illinois; Raker, California i; Gallivan, Massachusetts, and Smithwick, Florida.
 Goes to Senate
 The House vote was on an amend ment to the existing funding statute, which not only would specifically approve the agreement reached with the British government, but also NY9Nli6, NY9Ni6d, authorize the Arfsiffffe naasb! a similar, but not more favorable. ir terms" with the other debtor na- tions. The amendment will be trans mitted to the Senate tomorrow and immediate consideration by the fi- nance committee is planned. The time of Senate action. however, still is problematical.
 There was no effort in the House to attach a soldiers bonus rider to the legislation and attempts to amend 1t otherwise failed. Repre- sentative Hudspeth, democrat Texas sought to change the interest rates to be paid by Great Britain from three per cent for the first 10 years and three and one-half per cent thereafter to a flat four and one- fourth per cent, but his amendment was rejected without roll call. Similar disposition was made Of an amendment by Representative Rosenbloom, republican, West Nir- ginia, which would have provided that any claims allowed to the British government against the United States growing out of the war should be credited against the British debt instead of being paid Tn | cash. It was contended that such an ! amendment would throw the whole matter of the debt into renewed ne- gotiation.
 Calls for Vote
 Amid some 1eers and laughter, the 1 House voted down motion by Rep resentative O'Connor, democrat, rex as. to recommit the legislation "lth i instructions to the ways ana means committee to add provision that inc measure could not become effec- 1 tive until the Hay-Pauncefort treaty, ! dealing with the Panama oahai h"' i been abrogated
 | Chairman Fordney. of the commit tee who had charge of the bill, then 1 called for the final vote, asking for a roll call to show the world, as he sxnressed it. that the American Congress is practically unit behind inc debt commission in this settle ment."
 Four hours of general debate pre- | ceded passage of amendment and | towards the last, many members De- came impatient. As ttempts were made 10 amend and recommit. there was a general hubbub with repeated cries of vote, vote" when repre- sentatiyes sought to explain amend ments proposed.
 Representatives Burton, republic an. Ohio a member of the American commission, and Garrett, of Tennes- see the democratic l~ader. took the lead In supporting the British set tlement, while Representatives Col Her. of Mississippi. and Oldfiel1, Arkansas. democrats on the ways and means committee. led the fighe for the opponents.
 Representative Garrett brought the members. republicans and demo- crats. alike. to their feet with ap- nlause. when, after atta.ls~~ the republican party for it's stan1 on tn :, League of Nations, he announced that he would support the settle ment because of the bigness of the subject and the bigness of the hour"
 In assailing the settlement, dem ocratic opponents declared the House was without sufficient information regarding the negotiations to deter mine whether the terms agreed upon were the 6est that might have been obtained. They also attacked President Harding for naming what they said was a partisan commission to deal with what they termed a purely economic question.
 Many proponents of congressional approval argued that the terms not only were the best that could be ob- tained. but were even more liberal than Congress and the American people had expected Replying to opposition arguments that the i'm terest rates In the agreement were lower than those paid by the gov ernment on the money borrowed and loaned to Great Britain. proponents predicted that the American treas ury soon would be able to borrow funds at equally as low rates.
 The high spot" in the arguments of proponents, however, was that tn , settlement would prove a long step toward the stabilization of the world and the establishment of general peace.