Evening star., 1932-07-10
Spokesman Deny Any Change
in Presidents View Since
1891 Declaration.
HINTS OF u. S. YIELDING
PROTESTED IN CONGRESS
European Nations Also Assailed
for Hesitating to Accept Hoover
Arms Plan.

An energetic effort to dispel the i'm
preston in Congress and outside thai
the settlement of reparations by war
creditors Of Germany would move the
United States to yield to demands for
cancellation Of the war debts due it
was made yesterday both at the White
House and State Department.
Notwithstanding, the rumble OF con-
gressional opposition continued, and
the Senate session was marked both
by introduction of resolutions of in
quiry on the debt subject and by de-
bate airing criticism Of European ma
tions for hesitating to move toward
acceptance Of the disarmament pro-
posal which President Hoover submit
ted last month to the Geneva confer
ence.
Representative Bertrand H. Smell
Republican OF New York, leader of the
House minority, bore early to the Pres
ident the reports of the anti-cancella-
ton spirit exhibited by Fridays debate.
He was positively reassured, he told
newspaper correspondents on leaving, as
to the Presidents attitude There is no
change in the latter's view, Mr.. Smell
asserted, since last December, when, in
addressing Congress, the President de-
clared himself against cancellation,
though conceding that some of the
debtor nations, under consideration of
their ability to pay, might have TO be
granted some further allowance of time
or modification Of terms
Castle Issues Statement.
William r. Castle, jr, Acting Secre-
tary of State, followed Mr.. SHELLS
declaration. He said:
"On the question Of war debts owing
to the United States by European gov
ernments there is no change in the
attitude of the American Government"
Mr.. Castle specifically referred to the
following language of President Hoover
in announcing the arrangement by
which this Government deferred the
1882 installments on the war debt ac-
count:
Our Government has not been
party to- or exerted any voice in de-
termination of reparation obligations.
We purpoSely did not participate in
either general reparations or the di-
vision Of colonies or property. The re-
payment OF debts due to us from the
Allies for the advance for war and re-
construction were settled upon a basis
not contingent upon German repara-
tioCs or related thereto. Therefore,
reparations is necessarily wholly an
European problem with which we have
no relation.
Il do not approve in any remote
sense of the cancellation of the debts
to us. World confidence would not be
enhanced by such action.
II am sure the American people
have no desire to attempt to extract
any sum beyond the capacity of any
debtor to pay and it is our view that
broad vision requires that our Govern
ment should recognize the situation as
it exists"
McKellar Demands Data.
However, the wide PRONUNCIATION Fri
day Of newspaper dispatches purporting
20 interpret the State Departments at
titude as one of willingness to yield on
the debt stand contributed to keeping
agitation alive. particularly in the SEN
ate. Senator Kenneth McKellar, Demo-
crat, of Tennessee, introduced a reso-
luton setting forth the press comment,
reciting the fact that Congress has fully
and formally declared against any re-
duction. and calling upon the President
to inform the Senate whether there
is any foundation for the statements
made in these dispatches, and, If so, by
what authority any representative Of
the United States has taken such ac-
ton"
This went over, under Senate rules,
for later consideration, but Senator
Thomas P Gore, Democrat, of Okla
homa. continued the discussion by pre-
senting a resolution requesting the Sec
retary of State to ascertain whether
any European powers which received a
part of Germanys colonial possessions
in the war settlements, and which are
in debt to the United States, would
prefer to transfer such territory, in
whole or in part, to the United States
rather than to make payment in cash.
or would prefer to turn over to the
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