The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-06-13
BRITISH DEBT
STAND PUTS
U. S. ON SPOT
ROoSeveIt'S Wishes Ignored
When Macdonald Places
Issue Before Farley.
AMERICA ON DEFENSIVE
Blame Now Will Be Showed
on Uncle Sam If London
Conference Fails.
BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS.
scriDps-HOward Foreign Editor

WASHINGTON, June 13-A bare
twenty-four hours after the Off
cial opening of the London confer
ence, the United States today finds
itself on the defensive there, with
its back to the wall
The long prepared mass drive for
war debt revision is under way
Unless a satisfactory debt solution
Is found in time to influence the
London decisions, any failure of the
conference will be laid at the door
of the United States.
In the Vernacular, the speech of
British Premier Ramsay Macdonald
is seen as putting Uncle Sam on the
spot. Irr absolute violation of the
wishes of President Roosevelt, war
debts deliberately and officially
have been thrust into the open at
London, in way to make them the
crux of the conference.
The American delegates on the
agenda we're enjoined especially not
to permit the introduction of the
war debts owed to the United States
by foreign governments. Not only
President Hoover, but President
Roosevelt, insisted upon the debts
being kept out.
Not Trading Matter
President Roosevelt holds that the
debts are not matter to be traded
against other matters, but are
essentially questions to be de-
termined in consultation with the
countries directly concerned.
SiXty-SiX nations are represented
at London. Less htan tenth of
them have any vital interest in war
debts, and of these only two owe the
United States any considerable sum-
OF the $11 ,000,0O00O0 outstanding
Great Britain and France alone owe
nearly $9,000,000,0 900
Accordingly, it is President Roose-
velts plan to discuss war debts CON
currently" if so desired, but not at
the conference, and with the in
dividual nations concerned, not with
scores of others, sitting in. The
American delegation to London,
headed by Secretary of State Cor
dell Hull has received categorical
instructions along these lines.
There is widespread feeling that
Premier Macdonald hurt, rather
than helped, the cause of the con-
ference. Critics here already accuse
him of having used the most cru
cial gathering of modern times as a
sounding board for debt revision
propaganda and thereby place the
United States in a difficult corner.
Macdonald Is Tory Tool
To get out it would be compelled
either to grant enormous concessions
to two or three of the nations pres
ent, else incur the displeasure of
the entire lot-that is to say, of the
whole world.
Macdonald is seen as the tool
perhaps the unwilling tool-of the
reactionaries. Sir Neville Chamber
lain, chancellor of the exchequer, is
an avowed cancellationist. So are
other members of his cabinet.
Unless the prime minister does
the bidding of the tory old guard,
however, he must go-and he has
nowhere to go, his own party, the
Laborites having disowned him
when he decided to cast his lot with
his present associates.
Be that as it may, the die is cast.
The war debts have been made the
deciding factor at London. Like it or
not. the United States will have to
play the game that way.