Evening star., 1933-01-29
DIPLOMACY JO[TED
BY LINDSAY PARLEY.
b. s. Politics Confused Envoy
Who FutiIeIy Sought En-
lightenment Here.
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.

The recer& approach of the State
Department. acting on behalf OF the
President elect to Great Britain. for
the re.opening Of the debt question has
created an extraordinary situation IN
the diplomatic world. !
For the first time in the history OF
the United States, a foreign ambassa-
dor, Str Ronald Lindsay, the Brit
ish Ambassador at Washington, was
50 completely lost In the maze OF
American politics that unable to answer
the pertinent questions asked him by his
government, he went to high officials OF
the State Department and asked their
permission to enter into direct and Of
ficial conversation with the members
of the Senate. He based his request
on the fact that the department was
not able to give him the necessary sat
isfaction in replying to certain questions
put to him by his government in con-
nection with the debt negotiation. The
State Department, as much at a loss
to understand what the President-elect
might have in his mind in regard to
the future negotiations. hastened to give
Sir Ronald its blessing and since last
Monday The British representative has
been in direct contact with the prom
inent members of the Senate.
Pays Borah Courtesy Call.
In order not to offend the suscepti-
hlities of the present chairman OF the
Senate's Foreign Relations Committee.
Senator Borah. the British Ambassador
made courtesy call on him, but the
Senator apparently could not enllghten
the British Ambassador more than Mr..
Stimson and his collaborators.
From Senator Borah, Sir Ronald went
TO see Senator Robinson, Senator Har-
rison and other prominent lights of the
Democratic party. He did his job as
well as any good newspaper reporter
would do it, asking questions and an
Swering none. He ended by obtaining
an invitation to see the President-elect
through the medium Of some Of the
Democratic Senators. 1t is true that
the actual invitation was transmitted to
the British Ambassador through the
State Department, but when the Presi-
dent-elect telephoned the State De-
partment apparently on other matters
than Sir Ronald's departure to Great
Britain, the official to whom he spoke
mentioned casually that Lindsay was
leaving the United States on Tuesday
and In the same casual way, the Presi-
dent-elect suggested that unless the
State Department had any objection, he
would like to see the British Ambassa-
dor at Warm Springs before he left
this country.
Mr.. Roosevelt had been informed by
his friends in Washington that Sir Rom
aid was hungry for news and that no.
body here, not even those who are clos
est to the President-elect, could give
the Ambassador correct answer to the
many questions he was asking on the
instruction Of his government So Mr..
Roosevelt decided to satisfy, to the best
OF his ability. the British Ambassador.
Roosevelt May Clarity Plan.
Those close to the President-elect say
that he will be able to give Sir Ronald
complete outline Of his plan regarding
the settlement Of the debt question.
They say that Mr. Roosevelt has such
q plan although neither he nor his ad-
Nsers who are working with the State
Department on the debt question have
given that department the slightest idea
as to what it is. And the officials CT
the present administration are asking
no questions since they consider them
selves as mere tools In the hands of the
President-elect and are not curious to
know how Mr.. Roosevelt will solve this
problem.
The economists of both parties who
have been at work on the debt question
recognize. however, that while there
may be a number of satisfactory sclu-
tions. it will not be easy to harmonic
the American and the British points of
view.
The British maintain that the only
decision which can result from the
Washington negotiations must be de-
cision dealing with the reduction of the
debt only. That is to say, that the
British government thinks there must
be only a bargain in dollars and cents,
based, If necessary, on Britain's capac-
1ty to pay.
The President-elect considers the
situation from different angle and
says that any reduction of the debts
must be based on counter part which
must be offered by the beneficiaries of
the reduction.
The present British attitude is due
to the fact that the invitation ex-
tended to them mentioned the fact that
the debt question will be taken up in
dtNdually with each debtor nation
The British government is of the opin-
ion that If the American government
actually desires to 60 into the question
OF tariffs and sterilization of curren-
cies, 1t will be necessary to bring in all
the other debtor nations defaulters or
not, and In order to bring home forci-
bly, this point Of view, it has adopted
Its present adamant attitude.
British Attitude Clear.
The point of view of the British
government Is easily understandable
II the American Government wants
them to give certain American products
. privileged treatment under their pres
ent tariffs, If the American Government
wants to horn in" on the Ottawa
agreement. the British government,
which has most privileged nation agree
ments with many Of the debtor nations,
would be placed in a difficult position
II It acceded to the American request.
It will be necessary. the British say, to
have general agreement between all
the nations and such an agreement
must be based on global debt settle
Ment.
The British. like all the rest of the
debtor nations, don't want individual
agreements. They expect to have to
ray something like $4,000. 100000 as a
final settlement and want the IL debtor
nations to form pool out Of which
the amount agreed upon should be
paid. In this manner it would be easy
to finance the payment on the New
York, London and Paris money markets
Wy LoouAlS bOtiuo pdydUlc ONtl d pSiiOu
OF years and bearing rate of interest
Of or 4 per cent.
The real reason for the British in
sistence to have all the nations treated
equally by the incoming American ad-
n1inistration is their agreement with
France. The British are worried that
even II the American Congress agreed
to give Great Britain fair deal France
would have hard time to obtain a set
tlement acceptable to her.
The British are not only bound by
the gentlemen's agreement to the
French, but have a number of political
and economic questions in common and
could not accept to make an agreement
with the United States and leave France
out. For this reason they are putting
forth requests which cannot be accept