Evening star., 1925-02-21

Winston Churchill's note to France
suggesting payment Of her war debt
to Great Britain based. not on repara-
tions from Germany, but on Frances
own ability OF pay, has aroused a va
riety Of editorial comment in America
Editors agree 1t Is good business pol
Icy as well as generous of Great Brit
ain, but they see in the move q tend
ency to put the United States In the
position OF an intolerant creditor.
THE Churchill statement Of the Lon
don governments position in regard
to interally indebtedness may have
been calculated to bring consideration
of the entire question out into the
open." observes the Cleveland Plain
Dealer While the mote is addressed
to Finance Minister Clementel, certain
portions Of 1t were obviously intended
for American consumption. The will
ingness of England to scale down the
Frnch war obligations by perhaps as
much as two-thirds when the United
States Is insisting upon the payment
of every dollar, affords contrast not
at all favorable to the position Of the
United States"
''If the letter IS interpreted as hav-
ing a bearing upon the settlement
that the United States Is to make
with France, It rightfully becomes a
matter for American confederation
says the Springfield Union. THE
effect Of such an Interpretation is to
make Great Britain appear in the
role of a generous creditor and the
United States to don a ntggardly
guise. Such an Interpretation is obvi-
ously unfair, and, as such 1t is not
conducive to an early and wholly
agreeable settlement Of trouble
some international problem" It is
to be expected, in the opinion of the
Pittsburgh GazetteTimes, that the
self denying example of Britain will
be presented as one America should
emulate The Gazette-Times con-
tinues: "But there is no parallel be-
tween the position Of the United
States and Great Britain. In the peace
settlement Great Britain received the
means Of reimbursing itself for war ex-
penditures. The United States claimed
nothing and that is what we got"
X + X
Characterizing. .Britain's offer, lib
eral as well as sound. the San Fran
cisco Bulletin remarks: Despite what
Paris calls it's slightly ambiguous
phraseology the British chancellor
statement on the interallied debts
leaves no doubt as to a singularly
generous offer. It is more than gem
erOuS, yet dI Tie odihC -tihAS - ic
business-like. The British govern
ment has clear grasp Of truth that
important as Is the question of the
debts as a problem in official finance,
a much more important matter is
that of getting Europe back to busi-
ness as before the war"
There is nothing sentimental about
Great Britain's Offer" thinks the
Akron Beacon Journal. 'It is rather
wholly practical scaling down OF
the claims to q sum which France
will be able. to pay. In suggesting q
reduction Of it's own claims against
France. Great Britain is making only
tho best Of q bad situation, and al
the same time setting UP an example
to sustain later plea for abatement
of a portion OF its own obligations
to America"
"The British government now takes
precisely the position that the Amer
lean Government has taken from the
start" the Duluth Herald believes,
"the French obligations are the sums
It borrowed, and how much or how
little France collects from Germany
has nothing to do with the case. II
France cannot ever pay what 1t owes,
II should say so and ask for an i'm
partial inquiry into how much It can
pay" Along the Same line Of thought
~ Detroit Free Press remarks; 1T