Evening star., 1926-04-18
U. S., A CREDITOR, OWES
DEBTS l25 YEARS OLD
Session After Session Of Congress Has
Failed to Pay l79O-l$OO Spo-
liatiOn Claims.

served by this simple axpedient But
there still remained the matter of
compensatinE our privateer victims
for the losses they had sustained.
The Government had renounced all
claims for damages In payment of
national obligation in which the mer-
chant marine was not involved II
was but right that the Government
should assume the obligations which
it had allowed France to repudiate,
and should recOmpense its nationals
for their losses at sea.
From the time OF the inception Of
these spoliation claims until 1883.
when Congress passed an act referring
them to the Court OF Ga inns for ad-
judiCation. they were persiStentlN
pressed by the riShtful claimants. sup
ported by leading statesmen. The
Legislatures Of All of the oricina
States called upon Congress TO pay
them and Chief Justice Marshall said:
Having been connected with the
events Of the period and conVersant
with the circumstances under which
the CLAIMS arose, he was from his
own knowledge satisfied that there
was the strongest obligation on the
Government to compensate the suf-
terers by the French spoliations."
Taft Urged Payment.
The Court of Claims considered All
the claims in great detail. and in the
words of President Taft, the findings
and award were obtained after very
bitter tiSht. the Governemnt succeed
ing in about Is per cent of the cases.
The amount of the awards ought. AS
matter OF good faith on the part of
the Government TO be paid" Mr.. Taft
added in his message to Congress of
December. 1911. In former message
he had said:
II invite the attention OF Congress
to the great number of claims which.
a the instance of Congress. have
been considered by the Court OF Claims
and decided to he valid claims against
the Government. The delay that &C.
ours in the payment Of money due
under the claims Injuries the reputs-
tion of the Government as AN honest
debtor. and | earnestly recommend
that those claims which come to Con
gross with the judgment and approval
of the Court of Claims should he
promptly paid"
The approval of the court was
voiced in this unanimous opinion:
The spoliation claims as class were
valid obligations from France to the
United States. and our Government
surrendered them to France for
valuable consideration benefiting the
nation. and this use of the claims
raised an obligation founded upon
right"
Technicalities Block Appropriations.
Although ample precedent was set in
the four previous appropriations.
made from 1891 to 1905. many success
sive Congresses have allowed the com
pletion of the payments to hang fire.
Advocates Of legislation having a more
modern background. though perhaps
not so undisputable right to passage.
have succeeded. time and again. In
blocking the appropriations through
arious moves and teChnicalitieS.
Hearings on the revived bill. held
recently before the Senate committee
on claims, Of which Senator Means is
the chairman. disclosed the existence
Of certain objections to the proposed
legislation on the ground that num-
her of insurance interests would bene-
At by the payments. 1t was pointed
out at the hearings. however, that
the courts have recognized the justice
of the insurance claims. drawing no
line between the owner Of a captured
vessel and an insurer who steps into
the owners shoes by paying him for
his loss and obtaining a claim for dam
ages by suhrogation.
When the matter of reporting the
bill came TO a vote in the committee
last week hopeless deadlock de-
veloped, the vote standing four against
four.
Coolidge Wants Debts Paid.
President Coolidge. though a stickler
for economy in government expendi-
lures had this to say of the spolia
ton claims in previous message to
Congress:
During the last session Of the Con-
crc SIS legislation was introduced look
ing to the payment of the remaining
claims generally referred TO as the
French spoliation claims. The Con.
sress has provided for the payment of
many similar claims. Those that re-
main unpaid have been long pending
The beneficiaries hereunder have
every rea son to expect payment. These
claims have been examined by the
Court Of Claims and their validity and
a mount determined.
THE United States ought 70 pay its
debts. | recommend action by the
Congress which will permit of the pay
ment Of these remaining claims
All parties concerned with these
cla inns admit that Uncle Sam ought to
nav his honest obligations.
But. will he?