Evening star., 1925-04-26
Continued from First Page.l ,

1t has been urged in certain quar-
=, Iers that the adjustment of the inter
snstonal debts should be passed upon
9sE the League Court. 1t is argued
mat II the United States becomes a
member of the court the league should
can upon the court to take jurisdic-
ton of this question under it's ad-
NlSory power and render an advisory
opinion as to what would be a fair
and equitable adjustment. The court
could. take into consideration. it is
claimed. not only the terms of the
contract, but the equities of the trans
action.
John Maynard Keynes. the noted
economist and brilliant writer. has
already outlined what is doubtless in
the minds of those who would have
the court give advisory opinion upon
this matter Keynes saws the debts
are not commercial, but political
debts. He amplifies his views some
what by saying that France should be
credited with supplying chiefly the
man power. England the naval power
and the United States the financial
power My opinion is, if all facts and
conditions We're considered and all
acquisitions of the war We're eouitablv
divided, II would not be a bad settle
meht Tor the United States. But what
winch Its taxpayers loaned to the Gov
ernment and which the Government
loaned to foreign goVernments-and
that Is all. There would be some in
1eresting developments if the League
court should take jurisdiction | pre-
sumo Russia would be allowed to
lnterplead and thus settle her debt to
tne allles. She furnished man power
almost equal to all others combined. She
a
nShunS over front of $500 miles
She lost 100000 dead on the field of
battle. 10000 wounded. 2.OO0. 900
taken prisoners (one-hal of whom
dled in PRISON.. and, according 10
Lloyd George. it was her soldiers at
one crisis who saved civilization
Ihere are great many equities and
great many facts in the late war
which are being sadly overlooked in
these days.
In this debt discussion we are con-
stantly reminded of some things
winch we had understood otherwise
with reference to American history
Upon reinvestigation we find our pre-
Nlous understanding correct. A dis
tlngulshed Belgian Senator has proved
10 ms absolute satisfaction that, on
me OASIS OF the loan made to US by
france during the Revolutionary War.
and -the amount which he supposes
we did not repay, instead of France
Delng indebted to us we are indebted
TO France. In other words. the con-
tention is that large amounts of the
loan were unpaid and that that
amount, together with interest upon
the same, would far more than offset
the amount of the French debt.
France Repaid BY Colonies.
The fact is that the United States
pald every dollar of money loaned bv
the French government to the Amer
lean Colonies during the Revolution
ary War and paid it, when all circum-
stances are considered, with great
promptness and at rate of interest
much higher than We have any inten.
llon OF charging the French govern
ment. But all amounts which were
leaned, or intended as a loan. were
repaid and the Beaumarchais loan was
oVerpald by a very considerable sum
ana. as l have already stated, with
remarkable promptness. Some dates
VIII throw light on the transaction
CornWallls surrendered October 17S1
LORD North's government fell March