Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-22

OW many Americans Dcliefe
Il that the allies will continue to
pay installments on their debts
1 i TO the United States for the
entire 62-year period for which
agreements have been made? How
voter be willing 10 compromise for II
he could see cash for the entire amount
paid now into the Federal Treasury?
How many Frcnchmen, down In
their hearts, believe that Germany will
60 on paying reparations indefinitely?
How much gold paid now into the
French treasury by Germany. would II
take to persuade these Frenchmen TO
give UP the uncertainty and fear In
VOWED in expecting and demanding tn
definite continuance OF the PREPARATIONS
payments2
On the answers TO these questions
hangs the whole intricate. involved and
highly delicate problem OF solving the
reparations and war debts. The whole
thing is so complicated and torn that
1t Is very difiicult 10 state. and very
few people outside the experts who
have been studying II understand II
at all.
RUT the chief reason that so few
~ people, either In this country or
Europe. understand It Is that 30 few
leaders have been willing TO be frank
in their statements. First there were
for example. the campaign OF Lloyd
George for reelection on the issue OF
hanging the Kaiser"
In this country the question OF col
lecting every last dollar" OF the war
debts has always been q popular issue.
Senators and Members OF the House
having been elected on that slogan
There Ia little doubt that the advo-
cacy OF cancellation" by some college
presidents and "intellectuals' has done
more harm 10 their cause than good.
stirring up feeling on the other side
which drove political leaders 10 take
position probably harsher than their IN
teiligence dictated
Meanwhile, In France popular senti'
ment has been such that no govern
ment could have lived which did not
insist on extracting the last pound OF
flesh from Germany. For some time
this attitude was 10 strong that many
students Of the situation from other
countries we're In honest doubt as To
whether France desired chiefly N get
as large amounts of money In repafa-
tons IN possible or whether she was
really NIlIlnE 0 INIEEu ttlS UIuttTy lUi
the sake OF having her powerful
neighbor destroyed No rs 10 remove the
military menace.
WITH the setting up OF the Dawes
" plan In 1894. however. reason be-
gan to emerge, and the same indication
was shown as between the United
States and the allies In the agreements
| 10 fund the debts.
Most arguments for and against the
| huge concessions which this country
made In scaling down the debts In the
settlements finally come up against the
question OF whether this country really
ought 10 collect from lie allies money
loaned 10 them after this country had
gotten into the war, and before the
armistlce-~whetheF q far more just set
tiement would not be 10 collect only
the money which was loaned after The
| afmistice, and which was spent. In part
ut least, for material things. For exam
Die, the supplies sold by this Govern
ment To France railroads and piers
built there. etc,
| The statement Is made by bernard
M. Haruch one Of the very able
finanaiers who WAS connected with this
negotiations all during the Versailles
conferences, and who has been In ei0ae
touch with the situation ever since, that
had this policy been pursued. ~ Z mat