Evening star., 1933-01-04
Will Demand Ban on Amer
lean Resources to Nations
That Refuse Pay.
'U. S. FOREIGN LEGION"
ASSAILED IN SENATE
Californian Recalls Struggles of
This Country to Aid Europe,
"and No Spoils Taken"
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

Dubbing those Americans who sup
port cancellation and reduction Of the
foreign debt owed the United States
"the American foreign legion" Sena-
tor Hiram johnson Of California today
reiterated his stand in opposition to
debt cancellation. IT was the first
speech this session on war debts.
johnson announced he would demand
legislation at this session to prevent
American resources from flowing into
those nations that do not honor their
obligations"
'The people Of today do not realize
what America did for Europe" said the
California Senator. But they realize
what Europe is doing to America. You
Of the older generation will recall that
during the World War we authorized
certain loans, four Liberty loans and
one Victory loan. We specified the
terms Of these loans when we sold the
bonds to the American people. Out of
the money received for the bonds, we
authorized loans to the nations abroad
Every man with persuasive voice and
every woman, all were sent for to beg,
plead, cajole and demand that our peo-
pie give until it hurts remember
how in many communities the value of
a mans property was assessed and
bonds were allotted to him and he was
made to take those bonds. We sold
our bonds to the American people and
cannot emphasize too much that it
was the American people who paid.
Assistance Necessary.
Representative of the British gov
ernment during the war told us that the
war could not be carried ON without
financial assistance from this country.
Don't you recall how our people beg
CARED themselves to make these loans?"
Standing beside his front row seat
and with quite q gallery present, in
eluding his wife and friends, the stocky
Californian said the story Of the war
debts was Is years old, but so much
misunderstanding and misrepreserita-
ton" was involved he deemed retelling
necessary.
He said that when the loans were be-
ing made there was no question then Of
modification, revision or cancellation.
In addition TO the loans made during
the war, he pointed out that after the
armistice, when anguished cries came
from Europe due to the destruction
caused by the war, the United States
advanced something over S., 900, ,000, 900
to Europe.
Signatures Dishonored.
Senator johnson said he was reciting
these historical phases of the situation
because they form background for the
picture presented on December Is last,
when, he said, some of the countries
that had promised to pay "dishonored
their signatures"
He told of the action of Congress
in 1922 in creating the Debt Funding
Commission because of the realization
that it might prove onerous on the
European debtors to pay both the prin-
cipal and interest. Referring to the
close of the war, Senator johnson said
1t was glorious page in the history
Of this country when enemy nations
were being dismembered at the peace
table the United States asked no spoils
or booty"
1t was not so with some Of the other
countries, he said
Uncle Sam" said Senator Johnson,
Continued on Page 6. Column i.)