THE INTER-ALLIED DEBTS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3352, 20 December 1926, Page 7

THE INTER-ALLIED DEBTS.

Arguments lor tbo cancellation of the debts duo the United States from her associates in the Great War are forcibly presented by the Hon. Newitm I). Baker, Secretary of War in President Wil&onla Cabinet, in Trade mihlALumL

of lishmont of the Monroe Doctrine aJBI downffo the time when, in Manila Bay, her battleships stood Cleared for action between us and the German fleet which was ready to prevent Dewey’s success. Wo owe her nothing in dollars for this but it is to our interest, as a civilised people, that England should be strong enough to continue the mission which has placed her as guardian on every savage frontier throughout the world and made her weight felt in the counsels of nations for order and peace with justice in international affairs. For this reason it was bad policy for ns to permit England to assume the burden involved in our settlement, and the dollars she pays will be dearly bought if they prolong by a day the recovery of England and her colonies from the sacrifices they made in the World War.” As to the argument that the European nations are maintaining huge armaments and! that all the money we take from them is so much saved from war preparations, Air Baker declares that the reasoning is unsound and that even if it were sound we have no right to make such an argument. There are two ways in which international security wilf bo maintained in Europe. It will be done either by force or by the moral ennivalent of* force. So far the United States has declined to make any contribution to the moral equivalent as represented by the counsels of tlie League of Nations, and it is not right to question the resort to force by ether nations. We are simply ml: in a position to criticise European countries For spending money to protect { themselves against aggression. | Going back to the war situation of 1917, Air Baker reminds us that when we entered the war the condition if. Europe was a military stalemate, 1 political draw, and an economic crisis, of unparalleled proportions. In July 1918, a. year and four months after wo entered the war, our troops began to take an effective military part in the struggle. During that period the British, French, Italians and Belgians, wasted and devastated by the struggle from 1914, continued to hold the fines while wo drilled and got ready behind them. Altich of the money wo supplied was for the purpose of making that possible. It took the place of our army which was not ready. So far as the actual expenditure by our debtors are concerned, each one spent more than it borrowed from us in purely military operations and it is trifling to inquire whether those expen ditures were the particular dollars which they borrowed from its or some other dollars, out their treasuries, which ours repla< •*:! Mr Baker cnpkasi.ns tlie importance 'WmMj'.u triuie wicir Europe, which has long been our best customer, consum--1 ing of our total exports more limn 'double the amount consumed bv any other continent. Since tlie pi i* vof surplus production determines that; for the entire produce, it is clear iTiafc K„an buying in tin; world mark els is a, emulsive laetur in maintaining f|ic price of our entire home produce. E\e r\ industry in America, including agi ictilture! depends for its production 011 nu overseas outlet for our surplus, in other words, there must, he people in, those lands who not only want our goods, but also have money to pay lot them. Mr Baker argues that our own , continued prosperity requires a general rehabilitation and maintenance ot world peace. Secretary Mellon has said some things that support Air Baker’s post-j tirm. Before the Senate Committee, in connection with the Ttahaji clout j settlement. Air Mellon said: “A pros- j Iverous Europe would be worth far more j in dollars and cents to the 1 nil* <1 ; States than any possible returns from j debts.” At another Unie be s;n-; . j ■ *|V;<. !,,is;ness man would ’/icier making 100 dollars in in.- business to being repaid o dollars ol a debt.” These debts of European nations can bo paid, of course, only in goods or from the proceeds of the sale oi goods. Whv then, asks Air Baker, should a furore be raised over the fact that wo have to look for our rubber supply to British plantations? in conclusion, Air Baker says If the ’foregoing are sound, the United Spates is not justified either in morals or in a long view of its own best industrial and commercial interests in adhering to its present policy with regard to the settlement of inter-allied debts. The time has come* when these ouestiuns, including the British settlement, ought to be re-opened. Personally, I believe that a mutual cancellation policy will be wise. Such a policy ought to relieve England. France, Belgium, and the rest of our war allies both as to their debts to us and their debts among themselves and in. turn might to require the release ot some part of the burdens imposed upon Germany. This should bo done at a round table, where a. representative of the United States should be authorised to speak with authority and to demonstrate to the rest of the world that America’s interest is not in dollars bill in a reconstructed international order, with a.s much as possible of the grief of the AVorld War swept into oblivion, and the great industrial nations of the world freed to start afresh with harmony and goodwill, in fair economic competition and in at least enough political co-operation to preserve peace in the common interest. A prosperous and peaceful world -v. ii! supply the lies I field for A ri< an commerce- and industry.

All truck mnd delivery horses owned 1 1 v flic city iiutlmi i! ir.s of llcrlin were {jiven .'i tins o ..■ <■ i• U , v: ation on ;i .‘IOO :ii-re imtivi. 1 iv>r- ■ ■ f a i in. Officials in charge of Lin- place, formcrlv a nobleinan’s estate, say it pays tlie city to {five horses a rest by the same token that it pays to give human beings a vacation. TTic animals pet a!l the oats and hay they can eat, and prance around the meadows or 101 lin the shade under the trees. Many private business concerns are adoptin'? tinidea, sending their horses to the same farm while the drivers are on vacation