Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-01-31
NOT EXACTLY AGREEABLE

Although urging the British Gov
eminent to come to the terms OF the
American Government in the matter
of settling the war debt problem, the
London News admits that 1t is dis
appointed. 1t says: There were
moral and sentimental reasons which
led us to expect that Americans
would have dealt with us very
tenderly indeed in the matter of this
great war debt if she did not remit
1t altogether.
1t is unfortunate that such i'm
pressions should have got abroad
among the English people. They
appear to have altogether lost sight
of the great wealth Great Britain
derives, or will derive from the COL
onies and concessions which she
gets from Germany, as well as the
fact that this money was loaned
and presumably borrowed-in good
faith and in the full expectation of
its being paid. Much Of it was used
in putting English business into
readiness for the coming of peace
and the resumption of trade, the
proportion used for strictly war pur-
poses being apparently unknown.
This country was paying England
and the others in ready cash for all
We bought of them, and we bought
much. Under these conditions why
should English people suppose that
America would remit the debt? The
supposition hardly does them credit.
There is another feature of dis
turbing nature if we are to pay
heed to the excoriation which Sem
tor Mcclellan gave Chancellor Bald
win of the British exchequer because
of the latter's criticism of Americans
attitude. The chancellor is two
listed variety of public man. smash
ting his way ahead. He evidently
left us on his return home with an
always be depended on to act in
telligently respecting foreign mat
tiers. Others have had q similar i'm
preston and have freely said So
but in this country-so that the i'm
port seems somewhat different from
that proceeding out of the mouth of
fhc representative Of a great nation
with which we are trying to do
business. This quotation from Mr..
Baldwin's remarks will illustrate the
point:
III you look at the Senate you will
find that "a Majority of the members
come from the agricultural and pas
tOral communities and they do not
realize the existing position with re-
gard to the meaning of international
debt. The bulk of the people in
America have no acquaintance with
1t. Great Britain lives on internal
tiOnal trade. but in America this is
not so. The people of the West sell
wheat and hogs and other produce
and take no further interest in inter
national debts or international
trade" :.
This, as Mcclellan points out. over
IL
who certainly have more tact il less
knowledge than Chancellor Baldwin
and there are some intelligent
observers who would not question
either-also the fact that the selling
Of grain. cattle and hogs has served
10 interest as never before the peo-
pie of the Middle West in matters
Of foreign countries. Already they
are chatting over the invasion of the
Ruhr, seeing that thereby the mar
kct of their cattle and hogs may be
affected. We all stand in need of
greater enlightment respecting the
affairs of the world, no doubt, and
possibly Chancellor Baldwin would
profit likewise. Unless he wishes to
have the settlement postponed he has
made mistake. But the Senate
ought to he too busy to waste much
time discussing him.