Evening star., 1933-01-22


Friday announcing the incoming ad-
ministrat ton would receive British debt
representations stirred up a torrid Sen
ate debate during the day in which
Robinson of Arkansas, the Democratic
leader, branded as cheap politics a
charge by Robinson, Indiana Republic
an, that it was "usurpation of author
ity."
Czech Minister Acts.
The Republican contended Congress,
with full power on the subject had
"closed the door" to further debt discus
sions, but the Democratic leader re-
piled it would 'be an act of gross dis
courtesy for this country to refuse to
discuss the question with Great Britain.
A parade of other debtor nations to
the discussion counter was forecast
earlier in the day by a visit of the
Czechoslovakian Minister, Ferdinand
Veverka, to the State Department to
find out how his defaulting government
could open up the subject.
Later he said it was his impression
that the door is open to other nations
seeking revision as well as England.
However, Assistant Secretary Bundy,
with whom he talked, said VeVerka had
been given no basis for such an impress
sion and that the State Department
would not attempt to interpret the
Hoover-Roosevelt statement.
Borah, who has long held that the
debts should be considered only in con-
nection with a program for solution of
other world problems, said that Roose-
velt'S proposal to consider these inter-
national difficulties will have favor
able effect everywhere"
Little Support for Proposal.
The Idaho Senator has found little
support in the present administration
for his proposal to throw the debt ques-
ton into a world conference with other
international problems, and Roosevelt
himself has said in the past that he
considered the debtor nations should be
handled separately.
Hill said yesterday, however, that he
felt the negotiations for which the way
has now been opened would be purely
preliminary to the world economic con-
ference and expressed confidence that
the President-elect would permit the
debt question to be considered at that
gathering along with other international
economic problems.
The Indiana Robinson was the first
Senator to mention the new debt de-
Velopment on the Senate floor
With husky voice, he asserted the
newspaper headlines today indicating
the debt question was to be reopened
were disturbing to some who believed
Congress had declared its policy on
debts" He added
Since Congress has full authority to
declare its policy, it seems scarcely
within the powers of the President and
the President-elect to alter that policy
Tho,,rL< noo, vx,- CI>-.I
Reading a headline that said Door
is opened wide to debt adjustments, u
Robinson commented:
I'VE had supposed the door had been
definitely closed"
Asserting that the joint Hoover
Roosevelt statement would "give en-
couragement to those who owe debts to
the United States to default" Robinson
added:
Il wish either Mr.. Hoover or Mr.
Roosevelt would walk out on the street
and talk to any 10 Americans, and they
would find that 10 out of 10 are op-
posed to transferring these debts to the
backs of the American taxpayers"
81 wish the President-elect would
concentrate his intellect on how tc
remedy the situation for the American
people and forget about Europe for a
moment" Robinson continued.
Congress has spoken on this ques-
tion and there should not be any effort
to put its decision aside"
Robinson added that the joint state
inent constituted an "usurpation OF
authority"
This drew a quick retort from Robin
son, the Democratic leader, who said he
agreed with much the Indianan had
said, but took exception to his charge
of usurpation Of authority"
II have never known an incident
when a courteous application from one
Aaston to another for q discussion OF