The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-07-31
u. S. Wants Caillaux
To Head Negotiations;
Fears Another Failure
By GEORGE r.. HOLMES

The American Government -
keenIy DESTROYS that Joseph Call
iaux. the French finance minister,
shall come to Washington in per-
son next month to negotiate the
funding Of Frances $4,000. 900, 900
war debt, and to that end discreet
hints are being dropped in Paris.
This became known today on the
heels of the apparent collapse OF
the Anglo French debt negotiations
at London.
There is undisguised fear here
that the same fate may overtake
the F'ranco-American negotiations
unless the French negotiators are
headed by some one who has
authority to commit the French
Government to settlement.
Treasury officials do not relish
the idea of carrying on extended
negotiations In Washington with
French representatives who have
not the authority to say what France
can pay and when she can pay.
They have already had consider
able experience with this kind OF
negotiation, first with the Parmen-
tier mission thbee years ago, and
later with Ambassadors Jusserand
and Daeschner successfully.
.
on extended conversations, but baked
at any commitments whatsoever on
the ground they were not authorized
to make any.
Comment Withheld
The failure of the London nego-
tiators to find suitable basis for
funding Frances debt to Great
Britain aroused keen interest today
among members of the American
Debt Funding Commission, but
owing to the delicacy Of the situa-
ton and the imminence of negotta-
lions here all comment was with
held
There was no concealing the fact,
however, that the London failure
injected a somewhat gloomy note
into the optimistic views hitherto
held that France would come to
Washington. next month prepared
to settle.
In preparation for the coming
parleys with Belgium, Italy and
France, in the order named, Treas
ury and Commerce officials are
busily engaged in amassing a COM
pendulum of figures showing each
nations economic status.
This has been necessitated be-
cause, in the end, the negotiations
will be conducted on the broad
basis of each nations capacity to
pay"
Everything is being taken into
account in this amassing of detail
exports and imports, manufactures,
governmental budgets, taxes, etc.
What the American negotiators
vNfn
of commercial and economic condi-
tons in each country, compiled from
American sources OF information. i
Italy Seems Best Off
Data collected to date indicates
that Italy probably is in a better
all around economic condition than
either France or Belgium. e.
The Italian negotiations are sche-
duled for late in August.
Ambassador De MARITIME will de-
part for Rome next week to con.
suit his government on phases or
the debt negotiation.
The Belgian negotiations will be-
gin August Z. Belgium's ENJOYS
are now enroute to the United
States.
Some difficulty is anticipated at
the outset of the Belgian negotla-
tons owing to the apparent inten-
ton Of the Belgians to dIfferenti-
ate between money borrowed dur
ing the war and money borrowed
after the armistice.
The Belgians believe, and already
have informed the American Gov
eminent, that these debts fall into
different categories, and while they
expect to discharge the postwar
debt" as promptly as possible, the.
same should not hold true Of the
pre-armistice loans.
In this they are doomed to dis
appointment. The American Debt
Commission and Congress itself has
taken the attitude that money bor-
rowed IL money borrowed, whether
before or after the aymtstice, Sand
no differentiation can be permitted.