Evening star., 1932-12-16
JOURNALIST URGES
WAR DEBT REVISION
Britain Can Pay No More on
Same Terms, Says Sir
Wi|Imott Lewis.

Serious doubt that Great Britain
could make another war debt payment
to the United States on the same terms
as that remitted yesterday vas voiced
by Sir Willmott Lewis, Washington cor
respondent of the London Times. in an
address last night before the December
meeting Of the Board Of Trade.
Revision OF the schedule of indebted
ness before the June payment falls due
is necessary, the noted British Journalist
declared in plea for sympathetic
understanding Of the economic troubles
of the rest of the world as well as those
of Great Britain.
Sir Willmott denounced as stupid"
the policy which he said the nations OF
the world are following in building up
an acute form of economic nationalism
to point dangerous" to civilization.
He urged freer world trade policies.
The large gathering of members OF
the trade body was addressed also by
Albert w Whitney. associate general
manager of the National Bureau of
Casualty and Surety Underwriters of
New York, who defended as justified the
heavy increase in workmen's compen-
sation insurance rates placed in effect
for washington some months ago.
Police Paid Tribute.
Praise for local authorities in their
handling of the recent invasion OF the
National Capital by the army OF hun
ger marchers" was recorded in resolu-
ton presented by Odell S. Smith, head
of the Public Order Committee. Mai.
Ernest w. Brown, superintendent OF
police, received a special tribute.
Sir Willmott based his plea for debt
revision for his and other nations on
the claim that present trade barriers
on national lines had precipitated a
threat of chaos.
The world. he declared, is at one of
the crossroads of history. He contended
the capitalist-compe mpetitive-system had
developed very serious defects which
demanded that automatic adjustment
be supplemented by organized planning.
Nations cannot consider either the
extreme of entirely closed national
economic units or of entirely organized
world trade because OF practlcal con-
siderations. he said. There Is need, ne
asserted. for greater and freer economic
intercourse as opposed to further in
tensifcation of policy of economic
nationalism.
Sees Continued Unemployment.
Describing progress IN the mecIldHl-
cation of work, the speaker declared
experience in recent years Indicates
that unemployment in this country for
any predictable future has become
permanent political factor.
The power of modern industry to
produce beyond the capacity OF con-
sumption, he said has assumed an
aspect of prodigious Importance. The
worlds greatest problem is one OF dis
tribution. he contended.
IF this be true" he concluded, cit
is incredible and amazing that the in
telligence Of civilized nations should
permit the extension of the stupid
national policies based on concept
that a nation can be self-suficient.
Appealing for an attitude of friend
illness and an awareness of the serious
world situation in settlement of the
international debt problem, Sir Will
mott declared: 1T is tragic and de-
plorable beyond power of description
that while the world is moving toward
chaos three great nations should be
wrangling about money"
He referred specifically to the United
States, France and Great Britain.
Debt Payment Contest.
As to the controversy over the De-
cembcr Is debt payments to the United
States, the London writer declared:
1T is not simply question between