Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-17
AMERICA RESENTS
DEBT PACT SLURS
Officials Take Definite Stand
to Counterfeit Foreign Idea
Of "Hard. Heartedness.'
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
America IL not going to permit the
people of Europe 10 continue 10 de-
velop q spirit Of luminosity toward the
United states on account Of war debts
IL there ID q possible way to prevent IT.
This Is the true meaning Of the
analysis just issued by Secretary of
the Treasury Mellon showing that the
United States has been more generous
than Great Britain in the matter of
war debts.
Ordinarily such d comparison would
never have been made public, for II
implies in a sense that the British
drove q harder bargain than did the
American commissioners I'm negotiat-
ing with France. But officials here
felt justified In making the COMPARE
son because the effort of all the Eu.
ropean statesmen. including the
British. recently has been to give the
impression that the demands of the
to pay war debts. implying that other.
wise full cancellation might have been
considered.
Cancelled All War Debts.
Indeed In the British French agree
ment there il clause which pro
vides that payments by France TO
Great Britain VIII be scaled down If
at any time German reparafion pay.
ments Ia the British are in excess
Of the sums needed to pay the United
States.
When Secretary Mellon points ont
that the United States has in effect
Cancelled all Indebtedness incurred by
France during the war and IL asking
now only for payment OF the so-caIied
commercial debt after the armistice
he b presenting version OF the whole
question that has never been COM
mented on of1cially. In fact the Brit
ish have asked and received very
high rate on money advanced to
France since the armistice.
American officials are growing Inn
patient over the studied attempts
abroad to picture Uncle Sam as q
hard creditor.
No Parade Of Protest.
Il il noticed signifcantly here. for
instance. that there are no parades
OF protest by French veterans against
the British French settlement ana
that in the next five years Great
Britain has required much heavier
payments from France than has the
Three years from now France
must begin to pay Great Britain
sac. 900 900 as against 332 SOC; 900 to the
United States. In the fourth year.
France II to pay America So, 500, 600.
whereas che is required to pay
Great Britain sS0. 000. 000.s Then. too.
In the nth year, France II 70 pay
$4,000, 900 70 the United States. but
the payment to England agreed upon
Is to be ee2,S00. 900. In the first ave
years the total payments BY the
French people to the British govern
ment amount to $202.600, 900 as cofl-
trssfed with only $50 ,0O0, 900 to be
paid to the United States.
All economists agree that the crit
ical time for France Is the next fve
years. The franc 10 at the lowest
point since the war. II there eveE.
was q time when France needed q
reduction Of indebtedness 1t was IN
the first ave years Of the 02-year
,period allowed for the payment for
the whole debt. II Ii conceded that
5 and 10 years from now France VIII
be in better position to pay her
debts than she win be In the next
few years.
Feels Treatment Generous. 81
Under the circumstances the Arneri.
can Government feels that the greater
corded by the United States to
France. II 10 more evident every day
that the parade of French veterans
did more harm than good 50 far a.
the United States issconcerned for It
stirred up b spirit OF resentment that
the French government and press
should have permitted the people OF
France to be lnisled about the facts
Of the war debts.
II il not forgotten here that the
people of the United States have con-
tributed very heavily by gifts and
otherwise to- the French people dur
Ing and since the war. 1T Ii not for
gotten also that large quantities Of
ammunition and military supplies
were left behind BY the American
about enc q th Of their original pur-
chase price; and that Francs disposed
.Of this material Tor . better. price
than was given the United States
Csovernhaept.. And yet this $1lD, 900 900
item owed by France TO the United
States M = part az the edmpaercial
debt WAS lUnap&ds BY America with
the other advances made since the
WrIr md an nnrre cedented low rate
1T interest CHARGED. 4 III
From now on there 81 an incl ination
here grow q little move militant tn
lSringlnG these facts To- the attention
te thH World even though under other
circumstances, Aillekic4 otiacialU might
have koIE Tint &c W1s not 10 uncover
AkeletonE in the closets 81 previous