Evening star., 1925-01-24
BRUCE CHALLENGES
CLAIMS Of bORAH
Quotes Historians on French
Attitude Toward U. S.
Colonial Loans.

The Senate was taken back through
Revolutionary history again yester-
day, when Senator Bruce, Democrat,
Maryland, challenged previous state
ments on the foor by Chairman
BoFah OF the foreign relations COM
mittee regarding French assistance
to the colonies and urged that the
United States recognize a moral OBJ
legation" to France In consideration
of the latters war debt
Against Senator Bruce's citations
from cotemporary authorities which
he contended showed there had been
actual gifts of money from France to
the United States In the Revolution
airy period, Senator Borah made 1t
clear he maintained his position that
the American Government had receiv-
ed no gifts and had fully repaid its
debt to France. The Idaho Senator as
serted that If Senator Bruce had amy
evidence himself that It was not
paid, / viii accept IT."
Senator Dill. Democrat, Washington,
Joined In the discussion with a plea
for cessation of what he character
lied as the unnecessary and unpro-
ductive debate" He favored collection
of the French debt, he said, but In a
generous spirit"
Bruce Cites History.
Decrying what he termed an at
tempt TO "belittle" French aid to tho
colonies, Senator Bruce read numer-
Gus excerpts from cotemporary au-
thorities, both in the United States
and abroad. as tending to prove that
the assistance of money and ammuni-
tons advanced by France were the
result of deep popular sympathy
held by the French people" rather
than their governments jealousy Of
Great Britain.
He emphasized particularly express
slons Of gratitude found In letters of
Benjamin Franklin and asserted that,
In addition to Government loans TO
the colonies outright, gifts in 1871
amounting to 6,000.06O livres. which
had no connection whatever with the
subsidies received through the agency
of Reaumarchais," should be remem-
bered.
AS illustrating the Importance of
the French loans. Senator Bruce said,
George Washington wrote to Frank
lin in 1881: I'VE must have one of
two things-peace. or money from
France"
Says Point Unquestioped.
That the gift was made and that
it was of incalculable value to this
country rests upon unquestianed CO.
temporary history" Senator Bruce
declared.
When the Senator from Idaho
spoke Thursday he was speaking
when the relative positions of France
and OF the United States Of America
had BEEN completely reversed; when
1t was no longer the United States
that was approaching the presence OF
France and asking for favors, but
France approaching the United States
and asking for fayors.
while the monetary value of
French aid may seem small In COM
parison with present-day values" he
added, I'VE must consider al the same
time these other items and must take
account also Of the state OF the ma
tion which SO generously gave them"
Senator Dill, Democrat, Washington.
also asserted that Senator Borah
omitted" certain historical facts ia
yorable to France. He cited the
French agreement to forego interest
for p number OF years
Payments were not made until after
the Constitution was adopted" he said,
referring to Senator BOrah's asser-
tion that settlement was prompt"
II sec nothing TO be gained in our
belitting the aid given us by France"
said Senator Dill Nor do | see what
France VIII gain by beiIttling Amer
lean aid in the last war. France
should pay her debt, but we should
meet her In the same generous spirit
shown by her ENJOYS years ago."
1t did not seem necessary to SEN
ator Dill that the settlement should
be the same as In the case of Great
Britain"