AMERICA’S DEBTORS

Evening Star, Issue 21715, 9 May 1934, Page 9

AMERICA’S DEBTORS

QUESTION OF TOKEN PAYMENTS PROTEST AGAINST ACCEPTANCE Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. WASHINGTON, May 7. The statement that token payments would not be accepted" from debtor nations on June 15 next was made today’ in the Senate by’ Senator Hiram Johnson, author of tho law which forbids Americans from having financial dealings with debtor nations that are in default. Senator Johnson said: “1 am perfectly’ sure that token payments will not be accepted by our Government,” adding that the nations that had not paid their debt commitments in full would bo in the category of defaulters after June 15. A protest was taken to the State Department to-day by the Russian Ambassador (If. Troyanovsky) against tho opinioxi of tho Attorney-General (Mr H. S. Cummings) last week that Russia was in default. The debt discussion sprang up and broadened to-day after tho Speaker of the House (Mr H. T. Rainey) said a new debt settlement with Finland was being worked out, and it might become the basis for a settlement of other foreign debts. There was no comment at White House on tho position. The State Department has been working on the agreement with Finland for some time, but in some quarters it was said that the application of such agreement to other nations probably would depend upon their putting themselves on the same fully paid up status as Finland.