Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-29
Acting Secretary Castle Says
All Compromise Offers Not
in Spirit With Hoover Plan
Will Be Rejected.
FRANCE REPORTED ASKING
TWO PAYMENTS IN YEAR
Doubling of Obligations at End of
Moratorium Regarded as Not in
Keeping With Presidents Inten-
tions in Recommending Holiday
for All War Nations.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.


Agreement between the United
States Government and that of
France on the Hoover intergov-
ernmental debt suspension plan
awaits the discussion of several
technical questions" according to
a statement issued today by the
Acting Secretary of State, William
r. Castle, jr.
Mr.. Castle said: mo agreement
has been reached, as there are
several technical questions still to
be discussed. No proposals will
be accepted that do not fall COM
pletely within the spirit and pur-
pose of the Presidents offer"
Followed Conference.
Mr.. Castle statement to the press
was made after he had returned to the
State Department from the White
House, where he conferred with the
President.
The technicalities to which Mr.. Castle
referred in his statement have to do
with the handling of the money which
Germany is called upon to pay in "un-
conditional reparations, it is under
stood.
Furthermore, the United States Gov
eminent and the French are discussing
when the postponed reparationS pay
ments shall be made by Germany. The
AA~k tNfa
eminent Is holding out for an extension
Of time, perhaps for 10 or IS years, in
which the German government Is to
make up the postponed payments.
while the French are contending for
shorter period.
According to the Associated Press,
the French are asking for payment OF
the unconditional reparations, due
this year when similar payments fall
due next year, making two years pay
ment at that time instead Of one. This,
1t Is reported, is being resisted by the
American Government.
State Department Cheerful.
At the State Department it was in
sisted that there is no pessimism over
the situation in Paris, where Ambassa-
dor Edge and Secretary Mellon of the
Treasury Department are conducting
the negotiations with the representa-
tives of the French government today.
Indeed, 1t was said that the negotia-
tons are going forward cheerfully and
vigorously.
The department was not willing to
hazard a guess as to whether there
would be definite understanding be-
tween the two governments by tonight.
Senator Smoot of Utah, chairman of
the Senate Finance Committee, who
was called back to Washington to con-
fer with the President in connection
with the debt suspension plan, was
visitor at the White House today, He
said on leaving the President that he
was extremely hopeful that the plan
for debt suspension would be success
fully carried out.
Acting Secretary of the Treasury Og-
den Mills was in conference with the
President today, discussing the reports
received from Paris regarding the
negotiations And Acting Secretary of
State Castle returned to the White
House a second time to talk with the
President Mr.. Mills made no COM
ment upon the trend of the discussions
In Paris.
Two Nations Accept Plan.
The State Department announced
yesterday that the Presidents proposal
had been formally accepted by Poland
and Czechoslovakia. The department
said:
In a telegram dated June 81, 1881,
the Hon. A. c. RatSheSky, American
Minister to Czechoslovakia, reported to
the Department CT State that Foreign
Minister Benes had assured him that
Czechoslovakia will accept the Presi-
dents debt proposal. The Czechoslo-
vakia answer is expected in Washing
ton early next week.
"On June ~, 1881. the charge DAFT
flares ad interim Of Poland indicated
to the Acting Secretary of State that
Poland welcomes President Hoover's
debt proposal"
Poland and Czechoslovakia, since the
World War, have been followers of
France generally speaking in interna-
tional policy. CzechosloYakia Is the
first of the nations of the Little En-
tente" to accept formally the debt sus-
pension plan advanced by the Presi-
dent. The other nations in this en-
tente are Rumania and Jugoslavia. Ru-
mania has informally expressed a SYM
pathetic attitude toward the debt sus-
pension plan. The Little Entente has
been close to France since the war.