Evening star., 1935-06-14

June l5-another date for semi
annual payments on war debts due
Uncle Sam from IS European nations
is destined 10 pass into history
without any evidence that IA of them
intend either in whole or in part to
square their respective accounts. With
the single and honorable exception OF
Finland. whose obligation amounts to
S8636.625, all the debtor countries
have ceased payments and rank ofn-
cially at Washington as defaulters,
banned by law from new financing
operations in our market. Great Brit
ain. France and Italy, which owe the
vast bulk of the money, practically
furnish the example for the rest of
the delinquent countries. Thus little
or no hope is entertained here that
the nations owing smaller amounts
than the billions due from the British,
French and Italians will ever resume
payments until London. Paris and
Rome set the pace. In addition to the
funded debtS-that is, those which
form the basis of definite agreements
with this country-Germany owes US
SI,ZZ ,SOS.O0Zs N1ONiNS ASAo~ AeAt
346.85I,92O. The Treasury reckons
the grand total of our outstanding
European debts at S13 3,438, 7o3,6 ,671.
Every once in a while somebody bobs
I'D with the suggestion that it would
be good business to settle on lump
sum basis of 10 cents on the dollar, II
we could get it.
X 4
Debt cancellation sentiment period
ically manifests itself both in Wash
ington and in the country at large,
but commands no substantial support
in Congress. The Roosevelt admins
tration is determined to pursue the
policy of simply carrying the debts
on the Treasury books until Europe
makes up its mind to do something
about them. Nobody expects any
thing Of that sort is going to happen
very soon. Prime Minister Baldwin
| has Just announced that Great Britain
sees no reason to abandon the atti-
tude she assumed when she stopped
making token payments" in 1884, and
Italy and Czechoslovakia this week
formally notified the State Depart
ment that they find 1t necessary to
continue in default. Europe's general
| alibi is that she is still too hard up
| to curtail the debts. The United
States remains ready to discuss,
through diplomatic channels, any pro-
posals which debtor governments may
put forward and to submit them to
| Congress. with which final decisions
rest. Congress has just shown its ap-
probation of Finland's respect for her
obligations by approving the proposal
to spend $500, 900 on erecting official
American premises at Helsingfors.
4 4 4 X
President Roosevelt's address to the
West Point graduating class, while 1t
was couched in general terms and
took no specific account Of interna-
tional affairs, was carefully analyzed
| in washington diplomatic quarters,
which are accustomed to read be-
tween the lines Of official utterances
| on military and naval occasions. In
the light of current events overseas
it was thought by some interpreters OF
the Presidents remarks that MS al
lusion to intolerance may have hao
Nazi Germany in mind, that his men
ton of aggression possibly had refer
ence to Japan's new adventure In
China, and that the emphasis he
placed upon the worlds paramount
need Of peace may have had some
connection with Italys preparations
for war on Abyssinia.
| y
One Of the books of the early Sum-
mer press Is entitled Parliamentary
Law and Procedure" by former Rep
resentative John @. Tilson Of Con-
necticut, Republican majority leader
In the House Of Representatives IN