Evening star., 1932-11-20
BY PAUL SCOTT MOWRER.

~ ARIS.-T1le war debts contro-
verSy has momentarily over
shadoweti all other international
1 issues
Until it is known what the
United States is going to answer to the
European request for an extension oi
the moratorium and reconsideration Of
the debts, indications are that not
only other economic and financial talks
will be suspended but that even the
disarmament ard Far Eastern negot1a
tions scheduled to be resumed next
week in Geneva will be slowed up.
The principle of give and take In
diplomacy attributed here to President
elect Franklin D. Roosevelt is entirely
familiar to the Europeans. Indeed, 1t
is the only diplomacy they have known
ANYTHING about. Hence the tendency
Is bound to be on their part to hold
back concessions they think the United
States desires OF them until they know
more about whay concessions the United
States is likely to Cffer.
An Explosive Issue.
The war detts issue, moreover, is
peculiarly explosive. On all sides the
discussions which take place thereon
appear highly er1otionalized. Every one
Is apparently sure he is absolutely right
and any one who disagrees Is absolutely
wrong and each speaker is more inter-
ested in what he himself is going to
say next than Ia what is being said to
him, The whole history Of the war and
after-the- period is usually dragged
in and given a sentimental national IN
depreciation.
1t is realized in Europe that cancel
lation is out of the question and that
4 dtHGo,,lf r1nnOtiofi fiOac regarding
possible reductions must ensue even al
the best, and consequently the immedi-
ate point of interest Is a moratorium
as applying to the payments OF De-
cenber is.
The principal argument put forward
hy Great Britain, France, Italy and
Belgium is simple. The United states,
thev say, proposed a moratorium on
reparations and war debts as a measure
of defense against the economic Crisis.
Since then the depression has become
worse. If the measure was 1ustlfled In
July, 1881, it is doubly Justified now:
The reparations creditors recognized
this by reducing and suspendlng rep
arations. The east the United States
carl do. say Great Britain, France,
Belgium and Italy, Is to take similar
action on the war debts.
Await White House Fariey.
For the MON .nt, pending a definite
renlv from the United States following
the consultation between President
Hoover and Co... Roosevelt next Tues
day the European debtors are keeping
relatively quiet. If President Hoover,
IS press forecasts indicate from Wash
ington, should refuse to extend the
moratorium, the howl Of rage and pain
which win arise in Europe Will be no
When it comes to the elements of
future give and take negotiations, which
the European attitude no less than the
declarations attributed to Gov. Roose-
veil seem to mike likely, the question
is complicated by the fact that in real
ity there is no such thing politically as
Europe.
There are different nations with diff
ferent interests. They are far from
wanting the same things. Great Britain,
France and Italu all want a moratorium
and reduction in payments, but in
other political and economic respects
they disagree. as do Germany and Rus
Sia, which are also indirectly, con-
cerned.
Such thing as really united front
or joint negotiation appears, therefore,
not only undesirable, but impractical
as well. theoretically, Of course, each
issue of whatever description will be
treated separately. But practically,