Evening star., 1932-12-18
LEV|NSON FAVORS
DEBT ULT|MATUM
Originator of Anti.War Pact
! Proposes Reduction if
Europe Cuts Arms.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.


Asserting that default of December
IS war debt payments is meaningless
as far as the broader and basic issue is
concerned, S. o. LevinSon of Chicago,
originator in chief Of the Briand-Kel-
logg anti-war pact, calls for an ult1-
matum to Europe.
Stack arms or pay up!" are the
terms in which he would couch 1t, ac-
companied by the announcement the
United States will insist upon payment
of the last penny of the sll 000, 100000
due it unless the worlds armies and
navies are scrapped to the bone. Mr..
Levinson does not favor wiping out the
whole debt whether there is universal
disarmament or not. He thinks it rea-
sonable for Uncle Sam to demand
fair lump sum- in final settlement OF
the bill. He thinks billion dollars, or
roundly. 10 cents on the dollar, might
be adequate, but that it ought to be a
collective sum raised by all the debtors
in combination on the pro rata basis.
Mr.. Levinson is close coadJutor OF
Senator Borah, chairman of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee, on inter-
national questions, and they are in fire.
ouent conference at Washington. Ihe
Chicago attorney. who came to the Ma
tional Capital last week in order to be
here at the time of the default crisis,
Is the author of the Levinson plan Tor
Reimbursement Of German reparations,
allied and interallied debts. EuropTan aa
appeasement and world peace. The
plan was issued December !, 1927.
Acclaimed by BRAND.
It was not long afterward that the
project which eventuated two years
later as the pact Of Paris Tor the re-
nunciation Of war became an accom-
plished fact. M. BRAND more tnan
once before his death publicly ACCLAIMED
Mr.. Levinson as the pact's Original
patentee, though the French statesman
lent it his powerful prestige ana Secle-
tary of State Kellogg apphed tne nnv ArnI
lean diplomatic pressure when nnaliy
led tn its adoption by nearly so nations;
II have no hesitation in saying,
stated Mr.. Levinson in an interview at
the Capitol Yesterday. that the ap-
nroach to debt negotiations has oeen
DISTINGUISHED both in Europe ana the
United States by species OF aiiilos'
incredible bungling. Ihe oveLsiiauom uco,.o
ing curse. ever since the deotS weie
funded, and including the mOde OF az
tacking German reparations by the az
lied powers, has been the capacity 10
nav fetish. Who knows what a ma
tion's or a mans capacity to pay
going to be a year. three years, nVe
Sears or a decade hence? Is there any
American Of means whose capacity 10
paw in 1882 is what it was IN 1873!
WHY the United States Government OF
the American Congress refuses TO slt
around table with our european
debtors and discuss their present-hour
'capacity to pay passes comprehension:
Il il an attitude no banker in the world
would assume toward his meanest
debtor"
Mr.. Levinson was asked what, in ms
opinion. can or should be done IN the
face of the position nations which met
December Is payments and those which
defaulted have taken.
Definite Proposal Urged.
"The hour Is ripe" he replied, "for
some courageous, evangelical states
try. Men in Washington have little OF
no idea Of the tremendous body OF pup
lie opinion waiting and craving 10 De
crystallized in favor Of some broao-
gauge solution of the debt issue. My
own judgment. and it is based on eS.
tensive contacts, is that if the Unlted
states were to come forward with a
definite. concrete proposal to trace Oh
war debts against real disarmament
universal disarmament-such program
would command enormous support
among the American people.
1T would be program Tor economy
for peace and for international conclh,
alton. It would be a program conceived
not alone In the interest OF the DEBTOR
nations. but directly in our own inter-
est. It would strike at the one item
our arnaments budget-in which genu-
Inc Federal retrenchment is possible
thus automatically easing tax burdens
besides undoubtedly buying for the
United states a degree of good will
abroad that would manifest itself in eX-
banded markets for everything grown
and made in this country. Immortality
beckons to the American statesmen
who has the vision, the boldness. the
persistence and the skill to lead the
people in that direction. They are cry
ms. in my opinion. for such captalncy
at this chaotic hour
The author of the Pact OF PARIS,
which bears the signature OF Japan
was invited to suggest what can OF
ought to be done by the world IN me
presence of japanese defiance OF the
anti-war treaty, the Nine Power Treaty
and the covenant of the League.
Loss of Manchuria Forecast
"The process of Furnishing japan is
in progress" Mr.. Levinson replied. and
nobody knows it better than Japan her
self Today she stands practically at
bay. with the other builders OF the
worlds peace machinery solidly arrayed
against her. She will lose Manchuria
some day, just as she lost Shantung. 1t
may not be tomorrow, or next year, or
a year after that. But lose 1t, she will.
Not a single country except herself has
recognized Manchukuo as an independ-
ent state Even Russia, which seemed
a few months ago to be on the verge OF
doing so. has just resumed diplomatic
relations with China. meaning that the
Soviet will not give its approval OF
Japan's aggression.
IF the japanese government tomor-
row went into the money markets OF
the world looking for a loan, the cold
shoulder would be her certain portion"
Copyright, 193")