Evening star., 1926-04-26

The presidency Of France Is said
to he the prize that awaits Senator
Henri Berenger. French Amba ssador
to the United States. who has locked
horns with the American Debt Com
mission on the four billion gold dollars
his country owes Uncle Sam. The belt
is Frances paramount issue. II
Berenger succeeds where Caillaux
failed, the Amba ssa doris friends hope
to make him the next head Of the
enency to the presidency of France
than there Is to the premiership.
which Gallo statesmen sometimes
only hold overnight. Berenger, who
Is not a professional diplomat. was
assigned the debt mission at Wash
ington as a special task. When. ac-
complished, Paris has generally under
stood that It was to pave the way
triumphan ntly back to Berenger's seat
In the Senate, and thence to the
Elysee Palace-the French White
House Berenger has been Senator
for many years Officially he repre-
sents the islands of Guadeloupe. in
the Lesser Antilles. But his pre-
eminence Is that Of chairman Of the
Senate's finance committee. AS such
he long has welded powerful in
fuence. A majority of the Senate
is at Berenger's command for any
project that bears his approval.
Hence. primarily. his selection for
the thorny job on which he is now
oh iyc m
Although the book value" Of the
blockade claims which the United
States soon will ask Great Britain
to arbitrate is between 100000, 600
and $500. 100000. the total will be
drastically reduced when the two gov
ernments get down to brass tacks:
That always happens in the case of
a arbitration of international claims. 1t
occurred in connection with the
American claims against Germany,
which have been undergoing ADJUST
ment and award during the past four
years. Originally these aggregated
81. .25O, ,000, 900. more or less. When
finally adjudicated. the grand total
will be around $3.50, 900. .000-a slash
of about four-fifths. Some weird de.
mands were rejected by the Mixed
Claims Commission. An American
brewer wanted Germany to compensate
him for the ruin of his business. His
argument was that prohibition was
'csused nv the war" that Germany
was to blame for the war. and that
she. therefore. was responsible for the
loss of his livelihood. An American
bank, which had to hire extra clerks
to handle Liberty Loan business,
thought Germany ought to reimburse
It for the additional expense 1t was
put to on that account!
Did Senator Borah visit Europe In
cognito two years ago. roam at large
through Britain. France. Italy. Ger
many and Russia. and get back home
without the lynxeyed press Of Amer
lea knowing anything about It? That S
the statement circumstantially vouch;
ed for by an American resident OF
London, recently In Washington. He
avows and AYERS it's the gospel truth.
Borah says it's the joke of the CEN
tury. THE chairman of the foreign
relations hopes some day to cross the
Atlantic or the Pacific, or both. but as
vet such an expedition remains cat.
alogued among his ungratified am
bitions He was running for re-
election in 1924. about the time this
rumor says he was pussyfooting his
way across the Old World.
X \ y
Senator Hiram johnson has twin
aversions international entangle-
ments and Japanese. immigrants. The
fire-spitting Californian has just sue.
ceeded in killing in the Senate immi-
grafton committee. Of which he Is
chairman. some legislation that was