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Evening Star, Issue 21285, 14 December 1932, Page 9

NO REPLY NECESSARY

BRITISH NOTE TO AMERICA EACH OTHER'S POSITION UNDERSTOOD Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright. WASHINGTON, December 13. (Received December 14, at 10.30 a.m.) The United States will send no reply to the latest British Note. After repeated conferences between President Hoover, Mr Stimson, and Mr Ogden Mills, the impression in informed quarters was distinctly that Britain and the United States now understand each other’s position. No reason is seen in official circles for the United States to reject the payment which is expected on Thursday. THE DEBTS MORATORIUM MOVE AGAINST HOOVER DEFEATED. WASHINGTON, December 13. (Received December 14, at 10 a.m.) The House of Representatives, by 361 votes to 8, to-day rejected a move by Representative M'Fadden (Republican, Pennsylvania) for impeachment of President Hoover on the ground that he had betrayed the country in the war debts moratorium. Mr M'Fadden said the President had usurped the powers of Congress in proclaiming the- debts moratorium. He contended that that action had led to the present situation, involving the United States and foreign debtors. Mr M'Fadden has long been a foe of the Administration. Pennsylvania Republicans in the House later demanded the resignation of Mr M'Fadden as secretary of their delegation. ANOTHER BRITISH NOTE (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, December 13. (Received December 14, at noon.) Following a Cabinet meeting this morning a Note was addressed to the United States explaining that it was nbt the intention of the British Note of December 11 to touch upon matters affecting the Constitutional position of the United States Government. It should, therefore, bo read solely as relating to the British Government’s own position, which it had taken after mature consideration —namely, that it was prepared to make payment on December 15 in the light of the considerations set out in the Note of December 11, and it must reserve the right to revert to these considerations in an examination of the whole question, to which the United States Government had agreed. THE LAUSANNE AGREEMENTS STATEMENT BY CHANCELLOR. (British Official W'reless.) RUGBY, December 13. (Received December 14, at noon.) A statement regarding war debt payments and their relation to the Lausanne Agreement was made in the House of Commons by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. 'He was asked by Mr Winston Churchill for an assurance that the Government would in no circumstances consent to the preferential discrimination of France and Italy in favour of their war debt payments to the United States as against their payments of similar debts due to Britain, and whether he would demand equality and simultaneity of treatment for Britain from these two countries in order to prevent all payments by all countries to the United States on December 15 being made at the sold expense of Britain.

Replying, Mr Neville Chamberlain said the letter which he had addressed to the French Minister of Finance at Lausanne in July, 1932, stated that the United Kingdom Government would have been glad if it had been possible to cancel the French war debt as a part of all-round cancellation, but in the actual circumstances it could not enter into any definite commitments for modifying the existing war debt funding agreement. It agreed, however, that the annuities due under the agreement should bo suspended until the coming into force of the Lausanne Agreement, or until it was decided not to ratify it. The British Government earnestly trusted that an examination of the whole question of war debts in relation to world recovery—which the United States Government had agreed to—would result in a settlement which would enable the Lausanne agreements to be ratified. In the meantime the British Government considered it of the utmost importance that no decision should be taken at present the effect of which would be that the Lausanne Agreement could not be ratified. Consequently suspension of reparations and war debts would remain in force, but all rights of the British Government under the existing agreements would be integrally reserved. Answering a question as to whether France had agreed to pay Britain £12,000,000 a year irrespective of payments from Germany, the Chancellor of the Exchequer said the agreement with Franco provided that payments were due to Britain quite irrespective of any payments received from Germany by France. He added: “We are entitled, and we intend if we are able, to make a separate settlement with the United States.” FRANCE REQUESTS REVISION PARIS, December 13. (Received December 14, at 1.35 p.m.) The French Note announcing that America would be paid requested prompt revision of the system, the cost of which was unbearable unless reparations were paid.

BELGIUM CAN’T PAY BRUSSELS, December 13. December 14, at 1.35 p.m.) The Cabinet announced that the American debt, the December instalment of which would be £425,000, was based on Belgium’s capacity to pay, but the moratorium under the Lausanne Agreement deprived her of essential receipts, wherefore payment on December 15 was impossible. POLAND TO DEFAULT WARSAW, December 13. (Received December 14, at 1.35 p.m.) It is understood that Poland, whose instalment is £860,000 is unlikely to pay America. CONGRESS WAKING UP MAKING MR HOOVER THE SCAPEGOAT. NEW YORK, December 12. The chief Washington correspondent of the New, York ‘ Times ’ wires:— “In this late hour of international discussions on the foreign debt instalments which are due on Thursday it appears to be dawning on Congress that on that date this nation will be the most unpopular community in the world.” He says that the last British Note and M. Herriot’s speech in the Chamber of Deputies to-day seem finally to have brought the realisation that the friendly admonitions from moderates abroad and repeated warnings from the domestic Press failed to convey.' “The general,attitude of Congress when it assembled was that the debtors were bluffing, that they had the money, and that they were simply following the ancient trading tradition of trying to get out of paying it.”-

The correspondent adds that, although it cannot be said that the attitude of the majority of Congressmen is sofieniug they seemed surprised to learn that the payments may really involve serious economic difficulties. ‘ ‘ Many are becoming convinced that the December 15 payment will be the last under the existing agreement, and that under the leadership of Mr feoosevelt the great Democratic majority will be obliged to lay new' foundations before June 15 of 1933.” The correspondent declares that there is no sign of yielding from any written bond for the December payment, and Mr Stimson’s statement to that effect received unanimous approval in the Congressional cloakrooms. The correspondent adds: “The spreading feeling, however, that many Europeans will execrate the United States next Thursday impelled most of the Democrats and many Republicans to seize with much satisfaction on M. Herriot’s declaration and blame Mr Hoover for the view of the debtor Governments that we had at last accepted the existence of a link between debts and reparations. Mr Hoover, having been overwhelmingly defeated, has little power in Congress, and tnerefore is an ideal goat.” The correspondent says: “ The Hoover moratorium is becoming increasingly unpopular, and many Congressmen have publicly repented of their assent, and now warmly welcome M. Herriot’s statement that Germany should be required to take the initiative. Sympathy with Britain is increasing, and the previous flow of adverse Congressional statements has practically ceased, but the feeling still exists that her pooling of the case with France was not adroit.” The despatch concludes: “Not the least unfortunate incident is an unhappy week for Europeans and America is the fact that the date selected for Mr Hoover’s annual reception of foreign diplomats is Thursday.’!' THE AMERICAN NOTE LONDON, December 13. The ‘ Morning Post ’ political writer says: “The United States Note is not regarded as raising a serious issue, and it is expected that the British reply accompanying formal payment will merely record the differing views of the Governments.” PROMINENT DEMOCRAT'S VIEW NEW YORK, December 12. Colonel House, who is a strong supporter of Mr Roosevelt, writing in the current issue of the magazine “Foreign Affairs,’ discussed the foreign policy, which, it is assumed, affords a broad outline of the policy Mr Roosevelt will follow. He says that the aim of the new Administration will be to “liquidate war so that world confidence may be restored and world trade freed from shackles.” He specifies the lowering of prohibitive tariffs to a competitive revenue-producing basis, revision of war debts and taking them out of politics, and disarmament achieved-as “a sequel to the creation of a state of security which the world lacks to-day.” He favours supplementing the Pact of Paris with consultative argeement.

FRENCH EX-SERVICEMEN PROTEST AGAINST PAYMENT. LONDON, December 13. The ‘ Daily Mail’s ’ cox-respondent in Paris says: “Hundreds of ex-soldiers and civilians traversed Paris streets last night to the Washington Statue, where Colonel La Roque laid a wreath in protest against the debt payment. There were 460 arrests, but all those who were arrested- were subsequently released.” Colonel la Roque afterwards went to the American Embassy and delivered to the Ambassador a letter from exservicemen protesting against the payment.