FORCING STATECRAFT'S HAND

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 133, 2 December 1931, Page 8

FORCING STATECRAFT'S HAND

As a British economist who went closer than any other of the leading men to predicting the threat of world-bankruptcy, Sir George Paish is well entitled now to point out that the threat has become real and that safeguarding measures are needed. Two or'three years ago, Sir George Paish represented economics calling on politics to cancel debts that can never be paid. To-day he represents economics not merely as giving a general warning, but as holding up to the politicians an economic hourglass, in which the sands are running down. Quite a lot of sand had to run before M. Laval went to the United States. How much more will pass before the Franco-American understanding produces results? The Laval-Hoover conversations threw up two main points: (1) That France and the United States would co-oper-, ate to save the gold standard, and therefore that (2) there must be a big-scale readjustment of reparations and war debts. This latter idea has been accepted, but the world is still waiting to see some of it. It is also waiting to see some disarmament, but no one must mention disarmament to France except that terrible child Senator Borah.