San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-09-06
SETTLEMENT IS
.FROWNEDUP0N
BY PRESS
America Resents Appear
ance of a Conspiracy
to Force Terms.
By d. LLOYD GEORGE

LONDON, Sept. 5.-(By cable)-
The paragraph abiding to America in
the Churchill allaux agreement looks
like a foolish @try-on.- America
naturally resents the appearance Of a
conspiracy to force her to give liberal
terms to France. America is like a
good business man, who can be mig
gardly but who is also capable of
much generosity II appealed 10 in the
right way and at the right moment,
but m effort to intrigue him into
gene 1sity makes him angry and hard
ems his heart
The Anglo-French so-called settle
ment has not, therefore, had a good
press reception in America. What
about Europe? For the purpose of
assessing the reception given the Lon
don negotiations, one can leave out
of the account the pronouncements of
pure partisans.
Il mean those who either approve
or condemn whatever q particular
government is responsible for without
reference to the merits, merely be-
cause they either like or dislike the
government, as the case may be. Out
side such a section, there is a vast
international public that does not
quite know what 10 think.
TWO SPECIAL TYPES.
There are, in all countries, men
who would be glad to get rid, at
any cost, of these irritating questions
Of national indebtedness. They are
sanguine enough 10 believe that
France will become really friendly to
the British Empire if Britain writes
off the French debt.
There are also, in Britain, GER
tain number yho never expected
France to pay anything and are agree
ably surprised TO find that she is
seriously talking of paying twelve
and n half million (pounds) n year.
As q rule. this is an insular type
which does not expect too much hon
csty from foreigners. This is the real
John Bull kind of Englishman; mar
row, insular, prejudiced. bull-headed,
With srrly mien but soft heart, hon
est, courageous, generous, better fell
low than he appears TO others and
much better fellow than he would wish |
others TO think him-for his one dread |
is that he should be suspected Of |
possessing any sentiment or sympathy. |
He is good friend, faithful ally, an |
unyielding foe, an honest debtor and |
generous creditor but, withal, a
profound disbeliever in all foreigners.
His idea is that an Englisman |
always stands by his bond-a for
eigner, never. So when q French
man, after a good deal of maneuver-
ing. suddenly promises 10 discharge
one-third of his obligations, this speci-
men Of real British patriot is inclined
TO throw his cap in the air and order
another drink-this time a large one.
BUSINESS MANS VIEW.
Then there are the business men,
who from the start, considered the
agreement TO be thoroughly bad
bargain for Britain. The most au-
thoritatiye statement from this quar-
ter has been that made by Lord
Bradbury. He evidently regards il as
a thoroughly bad bargain.
He is not now and never has been
politician, but he is emphatically one
NJ the two or three most important
financial authorities in this country.
His ability and experience place him
in that high rank. His experience as
head of the British treasury during
and for years before the war, has made
him thorough master Of the financial
resources Of his own country. The
experience gained by him as one of
the PREPARATION commission in Paris
has gievn him a thorough insight into
continental finance. As he now holds
no government position, be is free 70
express his mind and be has done so
in no equivOcsl terms. He condemns
the CaillauI- Churchill agreement root
and branch. he points out that Brit
ain has an adverse trade balance, even
counting invisible exports, and France
has a substantial trade balance in her
favor apart from invisible exports.
This balance is a growing one. France
Is more lightly taxed than Britain in
proportion 70 her national income and
she is maintaining n larger army than
she kept before the war in spite Of the
fsct that her great rival Is now dis
armed.
CAILLAUX THE WINNER.
When Caillaux goes 10 America, it !
is already announced that he proposes |
20 take with him a staff Of financial |
experts. Then be will come face 10 /
face with Mr.. Mellon who knows more |
about finance than even the expert |