Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-18

Open minds on the subject OF wal
are revealed in the American discus
sion of European obligations, but there
is little evidence of any change In at
titude as a result of the sessions OF the
International Chamber of Commerce
Strongly established is the belief thai
cancellation would impose serious
burden on the taxpayers OF this coun-
try.
'If the German reparations were
abolished" says the Hartford Times
land the debts from Great Britain
France, ETC., to the United States Gov
eminent were Cancelled, the proceeds
of those debts which America has beer
using toward paying off her own ma
tional debt would no longer be avail
able for that purpose. American pos
teritv would shoulder the whole ma.
tional debt burden" The Flint Daily
Journal suggests that despite the sac
plight of the European treasures, it Is
difficult to understand why they would
want to put themselves under the
moral OBLIGATION to the United States
which debt cancellation would involve.
That paper also comments: 1T Is hare
to imagine the American people acting
in this manner if the tables were re-
versed. Is it that our sporting blood Is
better?"
'sWould these gentlemen be willing
to adopt the same principle in their
own business?" asks the Kansas City
Star. "Times are not so good, collec-
lions are slow. Then why should not
the merchant, the banker, the manu-
facturer, cancel all debts due them and
start with a clean slate, just to help
business sentiment and get the coun-
try on a Scunder baSis?" Insisting that
the agitation is mot changing the
mind of Americans" the San Francisco
Chronicle contends that "as 1t is not
as issue in this country. there Is nc
sense in treating it as such, and nc
sense in encouraging foreigners TO keep
putting it forward"
1T is demanded that this country
again reduce debts" argues the Lin
coin State Journal, "yet the debtor ma
tons do not propose to match dollar
for dollar in reductions of debts owed
them. Under terms presented, no Eu-
ropean country IS obligated to cancel
more than 40 per cent of Germany's
reparation payments, yet the United
States is expected to cancel the entire
debt. If such cancellation would
result in an immediate worldwide
stimulation of business, the United
States might be willing to drop its
prejudices and consider the PROPOSE
ton But the prospects of our benefit
ing greatly are not inspiring"
x X
Considering the proposal that "the
debts be scaled down in proportion as
the purchasing power of the dollar has
increased" the Roanoke Times con-
tends that opposition to the proposal
is pronounced on the part of Ameri-
cans on the ground that to scale them
rinUy1 would ho m aduarffcn I1n VHriVaai-
pie of debt reduction to the world,
Every argument for treating the inter-
national debts in this way" continues
the Times, "is equally an argument for
treating all other debts, public or pri-
vate, the same way"
I'm Grass and perfectly brutal frank
ness" declares the Atlanta Constitu-
ton, those European financiers and
politicians are almost demanding that
pay the enormous hangover costs of
their World War. into which they
forced us unwIlingly and at a stagger-
ing cost to us. which we will be paying
out OF our own pockets to beyond the
end Of this century" The Boston
Transcript holds that ''the American
people see no reason why they should
pay practically the whole burden Of the
war, and our Government could make
ltO SGoLuIC COWdlQ CduCtlldLlOA u Ciie
debts, even If it had any disposition to
do So
\ y X
Analysing the American situation, the
New York Sun olEers the figures: 1.-THE
German federal fiternal debt Is 2
biIlion dollars; that of the United
States Is Is billions, The. German ma.
tonal budget is about hi1lion dollars
annually; ours is about 4AhNlions. ex-
elusive of war debt paymants. Those
payments nterest plus refli Ading ARE
about billion dollars u n, while