Evening star., 1931-12-20
LEWIS URGES CARE
IN DEBTS DECISION
Senator, in Forum Address,
Says u. S. Future Is at
Stake.

upon the course which the United
States adopts now with respect TO its
DEBTOR nations will depend, in a large
measure, its future position In the
WORLDS respect and friendliness, Sena-
tor j. Hamilton Lewis, Democrat. of
iinnols, declared last night in the Ma
Llonal Radio Forum, arranged by The
star and broadcast over a Nation wide
hook-up of the Columbia Broadcastinp
Co. ''-'e
Senator Lewis prefaced his brief ad
dress with the assertion that he felt
constrained TO withhold certain opinions
IN the radio address which he would
otherwise take pleasure in voicing" be-
cause OF the scheduled discussion in
the Senate tomorrow of the nterna-
tlonal debt situation.
Praises Secretary Mellon.
Senator Lewis did, however. address
himself to the debt situation from the
standpoint Of the debtor and from the
standpoint of the creditor" At the out
set OF his speech he praised Secretary
Mellon for the way in which he ex-
planned the debt problem from London" :"
asserting that since the money loaned
nations was taken from the people
the Government of the United States
bureau and department heads of the
Government and officers Of the Gov
eminent cannot say they are willing to
cancel those debts" Only the people
themselves can cancel them, he as
serted
Discussing debt cancellation from
the viewpoint of the debtor, as
though l we're speaking in his behalf"
senator Lewis contended that if the
United States were to cancel the obli-
cations due it, the nations thus excused
would nnd themselves in position in
which they could not ask again for
credit. Further, he said, other nations
would hesitate to loan to nations whose
debts had been Cancelled.
Cancellation Of debts owed by three
or five of the leading powers. Senator
Lewis said, would force the United
states to adopt policy Of cancelling
all debts.
Sees Danger in Course.
If We should decline to cancel all
other nations debts after relieving the
leading powers of their obligations" the
Senator warned, we should place our
selves in the position of playing IA
Vorltes, and that charge certainly would
be made against us. In other years,
Wien OtLIeE nations make the same
demands for cancellation, we would
make enemies unless we bowed to those
demands in accordance with the course
OF action We would have taken with re-
spect to the leading powers now"
StreSsing the importance Of wise de-
clslon in the present debt-Cancellation
problem, Senator Lewis declared that
the future position Of the United States
in the world depends upon the course
followed now
The United States. in all its history"
he asserted, has never been a creditor
nation. Now that We are a creditor,
now is the hour for the United States
to lay down a doctrine Which We can
follow for the future in every case. If
We start wrong ncw. We nay sin, into
the moraSS of enn.ities and hatreds,
and all under the charge Of tavorit SRI"
Senator Lewis was INTRODUCES by
Oliver Owen Kuhn, managing editor Of
The Star. who characterized The i, -r-
national debt question as perlinc-- Dy
virtue OF the lnsiStent and per.- ,cnt
clamor by European nations VI d
mand that the United States VIM, tie
down their debts In Acknowledging
Mr.. Kuhn's introduction. Senator Lewis
asserted 1t was not his purpose to Ge-
bate the morality OF cancellation Of in
ternational debts" That. he said. had
been done and would be done again.