Evening star., 1932-12-20
DEMOCRATS BALK
! At DEBT MOVE AID
Roosevelt Sympathetic, but
Will Leave Issue With
Administration. :
(Continued From First Page.)

would be no reason to designate eco
nomic experts to consider them.
After such proposals are made, the
belief was expressed that any Amer
leans who represent the United States
at the discussions which follow must
have such knowledge and experience as
to he able to deal directly with the min
Isles of finance and other high officials
OF debtor nations.
Mr Hoover's message will not be
considered by the House Ways and
Means Committee until January, Chair
man Collier said today.
Il am willing to have the Ways and
Means Committee consider the message,
but l am confident it will not consider
it favorably," Collier said.
He opposed Congress setting up any
additional commissions to be appointed
by President Hoover shortly before his
retirement, but sid he had no objec-
ton to the President setting up AN
other of his own"
Still keeping the debts issue out of
the forthcoming world economic parley
and separate from the Arms Confer
ence, Mr. Hoover hopes now to co-ordi-
nate the three problems and obtain a
reduction in ornaments and reach, at
the same time, some solutions of eco
nomic difficulties besetting all nations
But he also remains Steadfast against
cancellation.
DefauIters Excepted.
In all probability, the debt discussions
Will be restricted to those nations which
met their obligations on December Is
unless France. Belgium and other de-
faulters should meanwhile pay up. Then
it is considered likely they will be given
a review
We must honor the request" the
President told Congress. for discussion
of these questions by nations who have
sought to maintain their obligations to
us"
Senator Watson of Indiana, the Re-
publican leader. and Chairman Borah
OF the Senate Foreign Relations. Com
mittee sounded the call for diSarma-
ment as part Of any new debt agree
nent.
Borah is willing to support a general
world conference. including the subjects
of money. arms and debts. but it seems
unlikely that such move will be under
taken at this time.
Despite the adamant attitude of
Congress against authorization of a
debt commission, there was general
approval Of the Presidents idea to pro.
ceed on his own initiative and seek
solutions to the problems he held in
close relation
Situation Realized.
There is real appreciation on Capitol
Hill of the need for improvement in
commodity prices as the first step in
world recovery and with it a DISPOSE
ton to look sympathetically on action
to that end.
The discussion OF debts" Mr. Hoover
said in his message, lis necessarily con-
nected with the solution Of major
problems at the World Economic Con-
ference and the Arms Conference.
The ideal way would. therefore, seem
to be that some Of our representatives
il these matters should be selected at
once who can perform both these
functions of preparing for the World
Economic Conference. and should ex-
change views upon the debt questions
with certain nations at Cnce and to ad-
wise upon the course to be pursued as
to others
Congressional Democratic leaders
looked unfavcrably on Mr.. Hoover S
suggestion that President-eiect Roose-
Welt Cooperate in naming the commits
sion ccntending it was a responsibility
that belonged to the President and
should not be divided.