Imperial Valley press., 1933-01-20
BRITISH DEBT
QUESTION To
BE REOPENED
Roosevelt And Hoover Reach
Agreement At Conference In
White House Today.
WILL INVITE COMMISSION
France Not Referred To Dur
ing Discussion On Policy To
Be Followed.
BY JOSEPH II. BAIRD


United Press Staff Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Jan. 2O.-A plan
to speed up negotiations between
the United States and Great Brit
ain on war debts and economic
problems was agreed upon today by
President Hoover and President
elect Roosevelt at a White House
conference.
The announcement of contem-
plated debt and economic discus
sions with Britain did not men
tion France, which defaulted her
January payment to the United
States.
Secretary of State Stimson is to
arrange with Great Britain to send
representatives here early in March
for the conferences. Great Britain
requested the discussion in several
notes sent the United States early
in December.
Thus Mr.. Hoover and Mr.. Roose-
velt, after first futile attempt last
fall, succeeded in bridging the gap
between the administrations on the
important problem of war debts
Under the arrangement made to-
day, the present administration
will set up machinery for prompt
action after March 4. But 1t will
not actually negotiate. That will be
left to Mr.. Roosevelt.
Announcement of the agreement
was contained in the following
White House communique:
"The conference between the Pre-
sident and President-elect this NOR
ming was attended by Secretaries
Stimson and Mills and Messrs. Nor
man Davis and Moley. The discus
Sions were devoted mainly to a can
vass of the foreign situation and
the following statement covering
the procedure to be followed was
agreed upon:
"The British government has
asked for a discussion of the debts.
The incoming administration
will be glad to receive their rep
resentative early in March for this
purpose it is of course, necessary
: to discuss at the same time the
world economic problem in which
the United States and Great Brit
ain are mutually interested and
therefore that representatives
should also be sent to discuss ways
and means for improving the world
situation.
"It was settled that these ar
rangements will be taken up by
the secretary of state with the
British government"
Lasts Over Hour
The program agreed on makes
1t possible to set UP machinery for
prompt consideration of the debts
and economic problems as soon as
the new administration enters Of
flee. Yet it saves the present gov
ernment, defeated at the polls,
from the responsibility of attempt
ing to make decisions.
The announcement significantly
omitted any mention of the French
debt. France defaulted on its De-
cember Is payment, hereas Great
Britain paid.
The White House conference,
held in the historic Red Room, was
attended also by Secretary of State
Stimson, Secretary of Treasury
Mills, Norman H. Davis, United
States arms and war debt expert,
and Professor Raymond Moley,
Roosevelt's advisor. 1t lasted from
IL a. m. to 1925 p. m.
State department officials said
Great Britain had not proposed
sending a delegation here in March
nor had the matter been discussed
with London. Hence today's an
nouncement was regarded as a bid
to the British TO send representa-
tives If they desired. Officials do
not doubt that they will do so.
The communique indicated in ad-
dition to the $4,000, 100000 British
debt, London representatives also
will confer on plans for the world
economic conference. AS the two
leading commercial countries OF
the world, the United States and
Great Britain will exercise a salient
influence on the conference and
their agreement is considered re-
quisite to success.