Evening star., 1932-12-11
FRANCE PLAN|V|N|fI
DEBT c)N!l!!|T|0Ng l!
Plea tor Suspension Efer
Thursday Payment Pend
Ing Revision Expected.
BY the Associated Press.

6y tnc A3ooClbteQ ETco3-
PARIS, December lo.--Although Pre-.
mier Herriot has yet to announce tho
fact, 1t was asserted In Official circles
tonight that he undoubtedly will recon-
mend to Parliament that next Thurs-
days payment Of interest on the
French war debt to the United States
be made with reservations.
These reservations, 1t was said, will
follow those Great Britain Is UNDER
stood to be formulating. 1t was as
serted the cabinet had arrived at this
decision, but the reservations It win
recommend have not been fully decided
upon. One Of them is likely to be that
this payment shall be the last one until
general and final revision Is made.
The cabinet held five-hour session
today most Of which was devoted 10
discussion OF disarmament because Of
the inminence Of decisions to be made
at Geneva. The cabinet win MAJ
again tomorrow morning, but the aoys
ernment's decision as to its recon-.
mendations to Parliament likely WIN
not be made before the important ses-
sion in the Chamber Of Deputies on
MONDAY, when Frances final ATTITUDES
will be settled.
Resolution Worked Ont
Premier Herriot and two irnportsnA
committees Of the Chamber Of Denn-
ues worked separately today In an
enort TO find formula under which
the Chamber would be willing to yota
Ior payment Of the installment.
The Foreign Affairs and Finance
committees OF the Chamber worked ont
. resolution providing for payment
Dus only on condition that the United
otates agree before Thursday to q debt
entire problem.
Members Of the delegation which pre-
sented this resolution to the premier
qNoted him as saying It tended toward
the governments intentions. aitho,lrh
ne made reservations because negotia-
lions still are continuing with England
tions.
Doubt was expressed In French cir
cles about whether the premier would
approve the project Of obtaining accept
ance In advance from the United States
1or the conference proposal. No ofiicial
statement on this point was forthcom-
ing, however.
Cabinet Session Monday.
On Monday the premier will hold a
cabinet session, after which he win 20
before the Chamber to explain the posi-
ton Of the government toward the
Thursday payment. For several DAYS
he has been attempting to arrive at
method Of payment which would over
come objections on the part Of certain
groups Of Deputies.
After the Chamber has heard the
premier's exposition. the session win be
suspended to permit the various groups
to determine the attitude they Will
adopt.
The debate by the Deputies probably
will last well into Monday night and
may, go over until Tuesday morning.
, From reliable source il was learned
that when former Premier Laval ap-
peared yesterday before the Senate For
eign Affairs and Finance Committees
he took the position that France, having
signed the Mellon -Berenger debt settle
ment, ought to honor her signature and
make the December payment.
Communique Issued.
M. Laval was asked to appear before
the committees because tt was he VINO
went to Washington last year to confer
with President Hoover. At the con-
clusion of his conference with the Pres
ident joint communique was issued
which some French commentators In
terpreted as meaning that II Europe
settled reparations America would b
willing to listen to new debt proposals.
The resolution that France make the
Thursday payment on condition that
the United States agree to debt con.
ference was approved by the Chamber
Foreign Affairs Committee 20 to 6. The
vote In the Chamber Finance Commit.
tee was Is to 4.
lie Temps said today that the latest
American reply to Frances plea for
suspension Of the December payment
introduced such elements as disarma-
ment and compensation, and therefore
did not facilitate the task facing Paris
and London.
The idea of commercial compensa-
tions, the newspaper continued, would
entail a reduction In the capacity Of
Europe to pay and consequently was
contrary to good sense" lie Temps
added that France never would accept
any proposal linking debts with dis
armament. It considered Frances main
aim should be to cement Franco British
relations on the basis Of this weeks
conversations between Prime Minister
Ramsay Macdonald and M. Herriot.
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