The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-01
HARVEY SAYS
 ENGLAND WILL
 PAY ALL DEBTS.
American Ambassador Back From England to Give Washington Government FirSt-Hand Facts Upon
 Conditions in Europe

NEW YORK, Dec. 31-Col. George Harvey, American ambassa- dor to Great Britain, who called himself a messenger boy, returned today on the storm tossed liner Be- rengaria to report to Washington on information he was asked to get from London.
 q will not and cannot grant an in terview," he said to newspapermen, but l will talk bit informally"
 It was while he was talking in- formally that he said there was no question of England paying her debts to the United States, and added that he had not come to bring information on that subject to President Harding.
 Really Messenger Boy
 T am merely coming home to re- port to my editor-in- chief" he said, and am really nothing but a mes- senger boy. can say thls, however, the present English government plans to settle and to pay it's debt to America. But it is delicate job 1t will require very careful handling.
 T believe that the men on the American mission and those named on the British mission which is en route here will reach decision if anyone can. They face the biggest financial transaction the world has known, but they face 1t as the best men that could possibly handle 1t.
 Stanley Baldwin, chancellor of the exehequer who heads the mission, Is a remarkable man. He is extremely a9ie5 In fasr he is sae ef ths aSisSt men fn British paptic life. Mentag Ge Norman. governor of the Bank of England. while of retiring dlsposi- tion, is a man of ability and power."
 Weather Rough
 Colonel Harvey declared he was good sailor and enjoyed the trip, al- though the Berengaria encountered heavy weather. He had made A crossings, he said. but this was the worst of his experience.
 Now, what else can I talk about?" he asked.
 Someone suggested speeches. He turned that off by saying he had made seven speeches in eight days, and all l got for 1t was influenza in Manchester he added with a smile. The colonel, with a small Christmas tree In his suite and the remains of huge basket of fruit near it, looked like a happy home- coming business traveller, rather than a wary ambas- sador fencing words with reporters.
 He waited for each question. never permitting his interviewers to ap- proach affairs of state and matters which. he said, rightfully belonged at Washingtons disposal. But he did discuss silk brooches and their sig nificance as uniforms at courts, all though not quite that way.
 Ambassadors Lonesome
 Before the war" he said, Amer ican ambassadors at St. James were both lonesome and conspicuous at court functions. There were am bassadors of all sorts near them and all wore uniforms which were. to say the least resplendent. There was ~old lace ap'enty. But the American .epree senrfAg 2 democracy was attired in common. every day dress clothes.
 Then came the results of the war. The monarchies began to tumble.  Along came more republics. And American ambassadors have lost the distinction, If it was that, of being the only civilians at court. At the last function I attended, I was not lonesome in full dress clothes. There were 15 others. and the Austrian and German representatives were dressed as I was"
 Colonel Harvey said he had no in- tentlon of making any speeches here. Ills mission. he said, was to go to Washington when they wanted him to go. tell what he knew. then await orders. Ills last word to the report CTS was that economic conditions In England were better-growing bet ter every day.
 There Is some unemployment" he went on, but not much. There Is some dlssatlsfRctloi.. but very little. Conditions are etter. much better. and while l am talking, let me say that the best friend Amer lea has In all Europe Is Lord curzen.F He be- heves in America.