Evening star., 1933-01-21
Agreement on War Debts.

Events have marched far and rapidly
since the failure of President Hoover
and President-elect Roosevelt to sgree
on procedure for considering war debt
matters. When they first met, two
months ago, their views seemed ir-
reconcilable. Mr.. Hoover favored the
immediate setting up Of advance ma
chinery" for debt discussion, in view
Of the approach Of December IS, when
payments were due, and invited Gov.
Roosevelt to cooperate in selecting men
to run the machinery" The President
elect demurred to that plan, saying that
he believed the debts should be taken
up through regular diplomatic channels
Yesterday the White House was the
scene OF a second conference between
the President and his successor to be.
To 1t the way had been paved by meet
ings between Gov. Roosevelt and two
of President Hoover's representatives
Secretary Of State Stimson and Mr.
Norman H. Davis, American delegate to
the Geneva Disarmament Conference
and rowing emissary in connection with
the impending World Economic Con-
ference. Yet another event inevitably
conduced to the second meeting be-
tween the retiring and the incoming
Chief Executives. Some OF the war
debtors paid on December IS, and others
defeulted. The principal debtor who
settled up Is Great Britain, but she
accompanied her payment with def
mite reference to the necessity Of re-
opening the question before the next
payment falls due, in June, 1888.
In fine spirit Of common sense and
with a statesmanlike realization of the
obvious necessities of the situation,
President Hoover and President-elect
Roosevelt have at length found 1t pos
sible to grapple with it along lines that
measurably meet the views of both as
to procedure. The preliminary ap-
proaches are to be made, as Gov.
Roosevelt proposed, through diplomatic
channels. They set In between Secre-
tary Stimson and British Ambassador
Lindsay = few hours after Fridays
presidential council. The negotiations
thus initiated look to the creation of
that advance machinery" which Presi-
dent Hoover called for in November.
They will result in the saving Of at
least six weeks time between now and
the establishment Of the new admin
istration. Had the November confer
ence had an equally happy ending,
three months time would have been
saved. Fortunately, there Is no pros
pect that the delay has been serious.
Announcement that yesterdays dis
cussions were devoted mainly to
canvass Of the foreign situation" indi-
Gates that while the British war debt
was the principal topic, it was not the
only one The Far East is bound to
have received attention, in the light Of
the recent indentification of Gov.
Roosevelt with the Hoover Stimson
doctrine. In addition to providing for
the reception at Washington soon after
March 4 of British debt representatives,
the White House states that Anglo
American economic problems Of mutual
interest will be taken up. And, finally,
ways and means for improving the
world situation" will figure in the
conversations.
These carefully chosen words, while
they studiously avoid details, presage
q meeting at Washington plainly des-
tined to be of far-reaching interna-
tional importance. Diplomacy and
craftsmanship are other names for the
art of give and take. When nations
come, cap in hand, seeking favors, no
matter how legitimate, they are pre-
pared to negotiate in the quid pro quo
spirit. The British, themselves past
masters in the field Of compromise,
doubtless expect to meet the United
States half way in any proposals for
improving the world situation" which
the Roosevelt administration may deem
At to submit.
On that score there must today be
deep heart searching in France, for
current events are demonstrating that
the door for debt discussion at Wash
ington is open only for the nations
that respect the sanctity Of interna-
tional agreements. Once France and
Belgium emulate Great Britain and
Italy in that respect, there is no rea-
son to suppose that debt ENJOYS from
Paris and Brussels will not be vel
coined as heartily, If belatedly, as the
representatives Of Great Britain in
March, and, presumably, later on, the
spokesmen Of italy.
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