Evening star., 1933-02-19
Macdonald Visit to
America Questioned
BY A. G. GARDINER.

hONLSts, rcuIudTy lo.-1ue QueStlOH
whether Premier Ramsay Macdonald
will or should visit President-e elect
Roosevelt in Washington to talk over
the war debts is the CHIEF subject of
discussion in parliamentary lobbies 1t
Is unlikely that decision will be made
pending Ambassador Lindsays teturn
to washington next week, but there is
growing belief that Macdonald will
take part in the negotiations.
1t Is agreed that in the presence of
the gravity of other problems confront
ing the government, the British
premier's visit will be brief and non
committal and somewhat in the nature
of courtesy exchange with the new
President preparatory to the arrival of
the British debt mission, consisting of
Neville Chamberlain-or possibly Lord
Reading-and Sir Walter Runciman,
to come to hard grips with the question.
X + X y
Maconald Is understood to be favor
able to the idea, but the wisdom Of
this double approach is criticized in
many quarters. The London Morning
Post hotly opposes it and the Man
chester Guardian thinks the govern
ment Is '.foozling" the approach. 1t
is argued on one side that Macdonald
would create a favorable atmosphere
for the discussions, and ON the other
that his somewhat nebulous mentality
may queer the pitch" for Chamberlain
and Runciman.
While Chamberlain and Macdonald
are ON excellent terms, their attitudes
toward the debt question are widely
different. Chamberlain is against a
swapping contest over the war debt,
while Macdonald is disposed to swap
ideas about everything, and it Is feared
that the chancellor of the exchequer
may find his hands tied by the pre-
hminary negotiations between Roosevelt
and Macdonald.
Regarding the scope of the Washing
tom discussions, Macdonald on Wednes-
of the opposition that I PARLIAMENT
should have the opportunity of debating
the British policy before the discus
sions begin. He promised a statement
ON the subject of the governments S
attitude but said that a general debate
before the preliminary negotiations with
the United States would obviously not
be conducive to a successful outcome
of the deliberations.
X X X
1t is quite evident that the debt
question cannot be isolated. and the
premier, in the presence of Chamber
lain on Wednesday, emphatically de-
MED that the chancellor had formu-
lated such an idea in his much-dis-
cussed speech to American journalists.
He said that Chamberlain, while not
approving of the debts being made
the subject Of bargaining. was anxious
that all questions which delayed world
recovery be discussed in a spirit OF Co
operation for the achievement Of q
common end.
The impracticability of isolating the
debt problem was evidenced from an
other angle by Foreign Minister Simon
in a speech at Southampton Wednes-
day. He dwelt on the highting effect
OF the apparently interminable diff
Guilty over Germany's incapacity to pay
reparations. The Lausanne agreement
had given a seven months sense of
relief at the passing away of that
deadly economic evil: but without re-
vision of the debt funding agreement
the Lausanne solution falls to pieces,
with shattering effect on the whole
field Of world commerce and destruc-
ton of hopes for recovery everywhere.
I'VE simply cannot afford" the for
eign minister said, 'to do anything
which would render ratification Of the
Lausanne agreement impossible"
X X X
Reverting to the British representa-
ton at Washington, opinion is much
divided not only on the question of
MacDonald's preliminary visit, but also
as regards the choice of Chamberlain.
Two objections. are raised in this re-
spect: First. the unfortunate interpre-
tation put on his speech to the Amer
ican journalists; second. the fact that
he will be immersed in March in prep
aration of a budget of the greatest
possible psrplexity in view Of the heavy
decline in revenue and the difficulty
of balancing the budget without fur
ther aggravation of oppressive taxation.
A strong view is held in many quar-
ters that In the circumstances the best
selection available would be Lord Read
ing. whose dispassionateness and good
temper are peculiarly adapted to the
delicate negotiations and who would
carry the confidence of this country
without arousing distrust ON the other
side. It is not improbable that he
will be chosen and that his colleague
will be Runciman. who. without having