Evening star., 1925-09-24
DEBT COMMISSION
WATCHES CONGRESS
Coolidge Aware Agreement
Must Satisfy House
and Senate.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.


Debt necotia tions with France. now
hegun. range mainly around tria ansie
with 4 cabalistic &c" al each end
Coolidge. CaillauY and Congress And
sent. is Congress Messrs Coolidge
and Csillsux and their respective col
leagues on the TWO debt commissions
VIII propose: but Congress will dis
pose and in certain conditions may
oppose. 1t is an open secret that the
Coolidge administra tion In coming to
grips with the French has one eve
carefully cooked in the direction of
Capitol Hill The President and
Messrs. Kellogg. Mellon and Hoover
want not only to reach a settlement
with France. They are particularly
intent upon reaching one that Con
gress will ratify and approve. That
purpose will be conspicuously in mind
from the moment the two commissions
get down to business.
Hopes for Aid Of Borah.
Mr.. Coolidge is hopeful OF the sup
port. above all others, OF Senator
Borah in securing congressional AS
sent to any agreement eventually ef-
fected. To that end the chairman of
the Senate committee on foreign rela
tions has been fully apprised Of the
administration views regarding the
terms to be submitted 70 NJ. CaiIlaux.
II is recognized that the Idahoan. not
only because OF his committee chair
ma ship. but because of his general
influence in the Senate. will he po-
tent factor when ratification is asked
for. The French consider Borah a
malign influence from their view
point They have never forgiven his
action in reading into the Congress
sional Record on January -, 1925. the
speech made in the French Chamber
of Deputies a day or two before by NJ
Louis Marin That is the speech in
which NJ. Marin expressed the belief
that Frances sacrifice In blood ought
she owed America and others in
treasure Senator Borah said in the
Senate on the date mentioned:
M Marin's speech is so excep-
tional that IL is difIicult to pass it
by without some observa tions. II
seems to express the view not only
Of the distinguished speaker. but the
view of the Chamber of Deputies.
and. ! presume. in large measure.
the view of the French people.
Ii France asks us for better
.
finessine for cancellation. Her arsu-
ments are the arguments of can
collation.; her logic. If such il can
he called, is the logic "f rerudia ton.
Many Minds in Congress.
, The admmistra tion's anxiety to as
sure itself of the %. X" Of Congress
on the French settlement springs
from the knowledge that Capitol
{
ject. France held the center of the
stage In the House of Representa- :
tives on December Is 1924 FIVE
weeks before Borah discussed the
French debt in the Senate. The
House debate brought forth from
Representative Charles r. Crisp.
Democrat of Georgia. who is one of
the Democratic members of the
World War Debt Funding Commits
sion. this observations:
We all know the nations cannot
pay. these colossal sums at once. so
the generous Government of the
them over period of s. year and
has reduced the rate of interest from
) to and az per GENT. ~ not
see how any of our foreign debtors
could ask for more liberal terms.
And speaking to you. my collea gues.
say to You ! will not either as a
member OF the Debt Commission or
as member of this House. vote to
settle the Indebtedness of any of
these other countries in any way
which will substantially vary from
Great Britain.
Inquiries by Jusserand.
In the course Of his remarks. Rep
resentative Crisp revealed that Jules
Jusserand. then French Anba ssador
INQUIRIES OF the Debt Commission.
through Secretary Mellon. as to how
the commission would view certain
proposals" Mr.. Crisp told the House
II do not consider I am at liberty to
go into details as to what transpfred
There was no definite proposition
made, no suggestion made for the
funding of indebtedness of France to
the United States that for moment
would be accepted by this country.
The suggestions were of such a nature
that they did not meet with the ap.
proval of the Debt Funding Commits
sion, and certainly did not meet with
mine
1t was not hong after the Crisp state
ment In the House that Nj. Jussera nd
made his celebrated public address In
which he declared that France needs
breathing SPELL requires "a certain
mora toriun. other terms that repre-
sent preferential treatment and. a
settlement that took into account the
money France receives from her own
debtors, especially German repara-
tionS.
How far NJ. Caillaux has receded
from the program thus foreshadowed
by Amba ssador JAsserand will pres
entity be known. II Congress in it's
majority is Of the mind reflected by
Senator Rorah and Repre- sentative
Crisp. the Jussera nd terms would have
rough shedding on Capitol Hill-in the
event. of course, the Debt Commission
submitted them for approval. This
writer has authority for saving that
the administration does not expect
Congress to favor much better terms
than were granted Belgium-certainly
nothing better on post -arraistice obli
cations owed by France. Congress is
believed not to be averse to better
terms than the British terms covering
payments during the opening years of
the aVrAAment Rpf H,.o ~ ttro lixy r,,ocn