A NOVEL SUGGESTION

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 104, 3 May 1924, Page 16

A NOVEL SUGGESTION

LIQUIDATING EUROPE'S DEBT TO AMERICA.

A Washington journalist, Mr. W. A. Dv Puy, makes a novel suggestion for the defrayment of part of the European debts to America. Germany, France; Poland, Austria, Italy, Rumania, Jugo-Slavia, Greece, Belgium— ali of them owe money to the United States, declares a correspondent of the ": Manchester Guardian." If she should say to each and every one of these countries, " 'We will accept on account suitable building? in which to house our missions," it would be hard for any of them to refuse. These countries might perhaps provide Consular offices as well. Mr. Dv Puy points out that, although the American representatives almost everywhere are hampered by the lack.of adequate embassy and legation buildings, there is in many parts of Europe a superabundance of palaces of grand dukes, which have become practically a drug in the market. A precedent is quoted from a recent move of the Italian Government, which' has called upon the Poles to furnish it with a suitable home for its diplomatic representative, and to set the cost against part ot the heavy debt which Poland owes to Italy.

Another interesting proposal has been made by Senator La Toilette as a result of his recent trip abroad. He suggests that the American buildings abroad should all be modelled, on tho White House—that America, in short, should plant a number of little White Houses all over the world. He argues that the house of the President at Washington is architecturally an excellent type for the purpose. The middle or main body of the building provides the residential quarters. One. wing contains the reception-rooms and diningrooms needed for entertainment. The other consists of the President's business officials. Tho requirements of an embassy or lega-tion building are substantially the same, and would be met by the construction oE a house on the White House pattern. It is hardly necessary to emphasise the sentimental appeal that would bo made to travelling•Americans by encountering in every foreign capital a replica of the familiar home of their Presidents.