Evening star., 1937-01-04
ENGLAND SCORED
ON DEBT DEFAULT
S. K. RatcIiffe Tells Town
Hall Negotiations Should
Be Reopened.

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United States was demanded by s. X.
Rstcliffe, British journalist, last night
at the first 1887 meeting of Town Hall
at the Shoreham Hotel.
Flatly criticizing the British gov
ernment for permitting the matter to
lapse after the moratorium had ended,
he insisted that it is the responsibility
Of Great Britain to pay in the ira
ditional British manner.
Serious mistakes were made In
concluding the Baldwin agreement in
1928" he declared. in answer to a
pointed question from Edward Keat-
ing, editor Of Labor, . member Of the
panel, about when England would
undertake to settle her obligations.
Mingled Misses and cheers from the
audience greeted the query.
I'm the first place, the settlement
should not have been on O level so
much higher than that obtained by
other debtors Of the United States.
Mistake Of Chancellor.
I'm the later stage there was q
greater mistake when the chancellor
Of the exchequer failed, after recovery
had begun. to make provision for
payment to the United States. That
has made the problem much more
acute than it need have been. The
matter cannot be allowed to lapse
and an attempt must be made to set
tie. for it is the responsibility of the
British government"
Ratcliffe also expressed pessimism
as to the ability of the United States
to remain out of another war, If 1t be
long. saying that neutrality might be
possible in the event of q short con-
hict. but that all important countries
will be involved in a long conflict.
The speaker dealt specifically and
at some length with the recent British
constitutional crisis and abdication of
King Edward VIII in order to marry
Mrs. Wallis Warfield Simpson, ex-
planning that in the face of British in
stitutions it would not have been pos
sible for Edward to remain King with
wife who was not his queen.
1t was the statute of 1881, dis.
| solving all control by the British
| government over the dominions
which stood in the way Of Edwards
marrying Mrs. Simpson while he re.
mained King, he declared. The do.
minions are bound solely by the per-
son of the King, link which they
could not have accepted in the event
Of marriage Of Edward under the
circumstances, he added.
1T would not have done to have
Edward going around among the do.
minions to be crowned while leaving
In England q wife who was not his
queen" Ratclif1e said.
Coronation Church Rite.
"The coronation service Is a rite of
the Church Of England, Of which the
King is the nominal head, and the
heart Of the coronation Is the COM
munion, which could not have been
administered to him under the cir
cumstances."
The speaker discussed rearmament,
recovery, unemployment and hous-
ing as factors in the British domestic
situation, following this with a re-
sumo of the international situation.
His topic was "Britain-the Next Five
Years"
The rearmament program Of the
Baldwin government was decided on
within a few months Of the change in
Europe incident to the advent OF
Hitler in 1888" he asserted. 1T Is
meeting and will meet surprisingly
little opposition. The handful Of lib
erals in Parliament Is not opposed
to the program and the labor party
favors rearmament because of the
spread Of Fascist doctrine and gov
eminent through Europe. The mill
tary establishment will not be
changed but the naval and air forces
will be made second to none"
Stoddard Also on Panel.
Besides Keating. members Of the
panel we're Lothrop Stoddard, lee.
turer and writer on international prob
lens, and Ellery C. Stowell, head oi
the department of international A.
fairs Of American University.