The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-10-13
CONGRESS WILL RUSH OKEH ON
 MORATORIUM
Approval of HOOver's Plan Scheduled as First
 Act
BY RAYMOND CHAPTER United Press Staff COrresDOndent


 Washington - Conditions are generally expected to favor Presi- dent Hoover in the first legisla- fore the new congress in Decem. Der, however much in doubt al other action will be. f]
 The moratorium, though effec- tive July l, actually affects the United States first on December Is when war debt payments would be due except for the moratorium, the first scheduled for payment. dur ing the Hoover moratorium year. To allay any uncertainty, the ad- ministration desires ratification of its proposal before December Is, and as congress will meet Decem- Der 2, this allows, considering the preliminaries of organization of the two houses, little time.
 Little Opposition Expected
 In proposing the moratorium President Hoover actually pro- posed suspension of acts of con gress, the war debt settlement acts. While there was no technical au- thority for this, the circumstances were so critical that the president felt his executive responsibility re- lative issue destined to come be- quired him to act summarily. Be- fore doing so, however, he consult ed a number of members of the house and senate. Democrats as well as republicans. Their response was so favorable that the presid ent felt no hesitation in assuming the responsibility. Public comment of various senators and congressman afterward indicated little opposi- tion would be encountered in ob- taining ratification of this action.
 The chief danger to the president lies in the complication over the speakership of the house. The line between the parties is so narrow that it is yet uncertain which party will have a majority when congress meets, due to vacancies that will be filled by special elections before December. Also the possibility of some republican defections makes the outcome even more uncertain. A prolonged fight over the speak, ership would prevent ratification by December Is unless by resolu- tion the house was able to suspend the usual procedure and act upon this matter before electing a speaker. r"-i
 While few doubt that congress will endorse the presidents ac- ton, many expect some shar de- bate. concerned not so much with the current moratorium as with the question of whether this IS to be extended next July, or whether it implies a downward revision of and war debts. Some members are violently opposed to scaling down war debts and an eff fort is probable to force a declara- tion from the administration as to it's intentions. President Hoover said in announcing his moratorium that l do not approve in any re- mote sense of the cancellations of the debts to us"
 One state department official. however, intimated during the negotiations that the president had at one stage looked into the question of revision. Many have regarded eventual re- vision as inevitable. President Hoover has not specifically dis cussed this point. though in his announcement he said: '.As the basis of the settlement of these debts was the capacity under normal condltlOnS or the OeDtOr 10 pay, we should be consistent with our own policies and principles if we take into account the abnormal now existing in the world. I am sure the American people have no desire to attempt to extract any sum beyond the capacity of any debtor to pay and it is our view that broad vision requires that our government should recognize the situation as 1t exists"
 Opposition to debt revision is probably stronger in the republi- can party than among democrats. This is one respect, may make the presidents task easier in spite of the embarrassment of having some republican leaeer take Issue with him if debt revision comes up.