Evening star., 1932-11-24
The Political Mill
By C. Could Lincoln.


Franklin d. Roosevelt, the President
elect, has gone South for a two weeks
rest at Warm Springs. Ga, leaving be-
hind him the debt problem In the hands
Of President Hoover and the Congress.
He is not to take q hand in 1t at this
juncture, although he aligns himself
against Mr.. Hoover's request for Spe-
ciai agency to discuss the debts. Nor
do the Democrats In Congress appear In
any way willing to 60 along with Presi-
dent Hoover, who wishes to have the
Congress provide for a commission or
some other agency to discuss the debts
with the European nations which owe
the United States the trifiing sum OF
eleven or twelve billion dollars. As the
matter stands, the President can merely
tell the debtor nations that this Gov
ernment is against postponement Of the
December payments, amounting to
about s125, 100000; that 1t Is against
cancellation or further reduction, and
that while he is willing to have an
agency set UP to talk with them, the
Congress is not. Roosevelt suggests
that existing channels, diplomatic, are
sufficient.
Under these circumstances, 1t looks
as though the status quo with regard
to the debts may continue for the next
three or four months, or until after
the Democrats take possession Of the
administration and both Houses Of
Congress. The Presidents hands seem
to be tied. Perhaps the Democrats are
anxious to tackle this troublesome debt
situation on their own. If they are
they are gluttons for punishment. At
all events they will have an opportunity
to see how the debtor nations, including
Great Britain, France and Italy, react
to entire refusal on the part of this
country to revise, suspend, or to discuss
the debts. Ii the European nations
just go on paying the debts, it would
seem that the situation may take care
of itself. No one in this country seems
to think that these nations will risk de-
faulting on the December payments. If
they pay, however, there is still no as
surance that as soon as Franklin Roose-
velt is seated in the White House
and he has put John w. Davis, Newton
d. Baker or Owen D. Young in the
State Department they will not begin
writing annoying notes asking for some
further conversations about the debts.
The Democrats may not relish having
the debt problem on their hands later,
but neither, apparently. do they relish
the idea Of having the republican
administration and the present Con-
greSs settle the matter. It looks a.
though they had not been able to forget
that the presidential campaign is over.
They seem to be still afraid that Mr..
Hoover and his administration might
reap scme benefit out of arranging for
the debt payments in one way or
another.
Mr.. Hoover has effectuaIly disclosed
his own position in the matter of the
debts. He has declared against suspen-
sion of the payments-a further mora
torium-against cancellation or reduc-
ton. He has, however, suggested that
there may be some other way OF ex-
tracing quid pro quo from our
European debtors besides taking it in
cash. The President mentioned in his
statement to the ccuntry on the debt
situation yesterday that this country
might benefit through trading in some
of its cash debts for more markets
abroad for American products, both
agricultural and industrial. He even
ventured the suggestion that the Amer
ican people might be willing to forgive
some of the debts If they could have q
definite agreement looking to dis
armament But these avenues appear
for the time being to be closed, since
the Democrats in Congress do nct wish
to provide any agency through which
the country might talk things over with
the Europeans.
The Presidents statement to the
country goes over the heads OF the
congressional leaders and appeals for
support for the plan of setting up an
agency to discuss these debts with thc
debtors. After saying fatty that he is
against any concessions In the matter
of reductions in the debts, the Presi-
dent makes a strong argument to the
effect that it is against the best in
ternational policy for the United States
to decline to discuss matters with these
friendly nations. He points out that
merely because a nation Is polite and
agrees to conversations does not mean
that it will yield its position or its
rights in the debts matter. The men,
bers of Congress, however, appear to
believe that the Europeans would
surely put it over the Americans in such
a discussion. The safest policy, they
indicate, is not to enter into confer
ence. Then there is no slightest chance
of being worsted. Furthermore, II the
debts matter Is held in allegiance, the
Democrats may be able to wiring more
out of the Europeans in the way OF
concessions in foreign trade, which is
lust what the President himself seems
to have in mind in his present proposal
for a commission or an agency OF some
kind to talk with the debtors.
4 X r y
al f1ic fret trim
to Washington since the election, made
a favorable impression on those who
saw him. He talked things over with
the Democratic leaders in the Senate
and the House, and particularly with
his running mate, Speaker Garner. The
Speaker has still big part to play in
the legislative drama Of the next few
months. On March 4 he will step
across the Capitol to the Senate cham
ber, and from being an active leader
and dominating force in the House, he
will sink into more or less innocuous
desuetude as Vice President and. pre-
siding officer of the Upper House. He
may struggle against it. but he is likely
to find that, like a lot Of other able
gentlemen, the vice presidency Is a
auieting if not a deadening influence.
Two men have emerged from the Office
in comparatively recent years to become
the leaders of their party and the
Nation. But their rise was due to for
tuitous circumstance. Theodore Roose-
velt became Chief Executive when
President Mckinley was aSsassinated,
and Calvin Coolidge moved into the
White House following the death Of
President Harding.
u Il Il
Up In Massachusetts, the voters have
become more and more disguised with
the operation Of the direct primary for
State officers. BY q vote of
more than to they declared In
for a return Of the po-
litical party conventions for the selec-
ton cf candidates to be voted for in
the primary. The simply truth of the
matter is that Republicans and Demo-
Gratis alike in the old Bay State were