The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-30
u. s. TO DEMAND PARIS ATTITUDE . ON DEBT DODGE French Finance Minister Says Obligation Must
 Be Lowered STATEMENT STIRS
 CAPITAL CIRCLES Officials Declare France Must Make Immediate
 Plans For Payment
By RAYMOND CHAPTER. OLeased Wire To Age-Herald)

WASHINGTON, Dec. 29.-The United States is about to. ask the French government for direct of- ficial statement of her attitude regarding the war debt of approxi- mately $4,000,000,000 owed to this government.
 This step was decided upon Mon day because of the statement of the French finance minister, which seeks reduction of the obligation. Pre-. yious assurances from authorized spokesmen of the French govern ment to the United States all ac knowledged the debt and merely requested delay in payment. The United States now desires to know definitely whether France really means to repudiate her obligation a step which this government doei not believe Paris contemplates.
 The French finance minister's state ment provoked surprise and critical comment in administration circles and in congress Monday. Everywhere the reaction was the same as disclosed Sun day night - France will be accommo- dated as to terms, but none of the debt can be cancelled.
 Situation Is Summarized r On behalf of a high official of the government, it was said:
 i. That it would be a very serious
 mistake for France not to recognize the debt and provide for it's discharge as an international credit should be maintained.
 2. That the United States will not consent to any arrangement for pool
 ing the debts and paying according to relative national wealth.
 3. That this government does not underrate the sacrifice and spirit of France and hopes the entire matter ] may be dealt with on friendly basis
 4. That the United States tas gIla
 desire to be oppressive, but fiat it expects the debt to be recognized and proper arrangements made to fund it.
 Secretary of State Hughes called in the secretary of the funding commission, Elliot Wadsworth, assistant secretary of the treasury. Following this it was indicated that the state department is preparing to ask France for an explicit statement of her position to clean up the contradictory attitude of the finance minister and the previous expressions of the French government. This prob ably will be done informally in order not to provoke an embarrassing public underwriting contest. The purpose is to give the French government an easy opportunity to set the record straight, and say definitely what it intends to do.
 Meanwhile congress had considerable to say. Senator Reed of Pennsylvania, a war veteran, strongly pro-French and a close friend of Secretary of the Treas ury Mellon, made a statement on the floor, declaring that he believed the French people honest at heart and did not think they would repudiate just obligation.
 "As a friend of France, I cannot but serve notice that she must recognize her debt to us,"' he said. ''She will find in the next war, if one ever comes, that she will need money just as much as arms to get money then, she must meet her obligations now" Represen- tative Crisp of Georgia, member of the debt funding commission, said some thing should be done to begin funding the French debt.
 Representative Wingo of Arkansas, another democrat, declared the Pres ident's opposition, to cancellation has the whole-hearted support of the nation.
 "The honor and self-interest of na- tions will eventually lead them to stop playing fast and loose with their moral obligations" he said.