AMERICAN SENATE

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 February 1923, Page 5

AMERICAN SENATE

! REPLY TO CHANCELLOR. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.; WASHINGTON, January 30. Senator McKellar in a speech in the Senate said that the British Government should disavow Mr Baldwin’s statement i wherein he asserted that the United States Senate was made up of members of agricultural and pastoral communities, who did not realise the existing position regarding the meaning of international debt. Senator McKellar said:- -‘T cannot believe the British people entertain ■ lie view which Mr Baldwin expresses, they have always been a debt-paying people. They have not treated their obligations as a scrap of paper, and it is inconceivable that these, self respecting people will permit one of their number to utter these uncalled-for, untrue and discourteous words.” Senator McKellar demanded the disclosure of the identity of the American diplomats who gave assurances that debtfunding would be carried out under certain conditions not published, which 1 London newspaper says provides for two to three per cent, interest on £20,000,000 annually. Concluding, Senator McKellar said: — “Where is the great Ambassador Harvey? Why does he not raise his voice on behalf of the Government and th? American people? Has he lost his voice permanently? He never seems to be <n hand when something real is going mi. Representative Kitchin. who is a member of the House AV ays and Means Committee, said: “When the United ) States granted loans to the Allies, I. 4 cautioned the members of the Committee against the tremendous cost of the war, and against propaganda to have the Allied debts cancelled, and the Secretary of the Treasury assured me that payment would be demanded in. full. Otherwise, the Committee would not have voted the loan bills. It will be time enough for patriotic Americans to consider ioreign debts when the holders of our own war bonds signiliy their willingness to release the United States from its obligations to them.” BRITAIN ACCEPTS TERMS. LONDON, January 31. Britain has accepted the American debt funding terms. The “Daily Express” says: In view of the American demands for the strictest honouring of Britain’s obligations, it should bo pointed out that a number of the Southern States owe Britain twelve millions sterling, borrowed for public improvements fortyseven years ago.