NOT UNDERSTOOD

Northern Advocate, 10 March 1923, Page 5

NOT UNDERSTOOD

LORD BALFOUR'S NOTE.

INTERNATIONAL WAR DEBTS,

AMERICA'B UNEQUIVOCAL

ACTION

(Received 1.20 p.m.)

LONDON, March 9,

Ix>rd Balfour, speaking in the House of Lords, called attention to a misunderstanding arising from his Note of August last dealing with international indebtedness. He said he had not taken part in subsequent controversies thinking that as time passed and changes occurred the matter might be allowed to rest, but :.s the American Ambassador had declared that his !Note was misleading and had asked the Government explicitly to remove the impression the Not?, had caused, he thought continued silence would be misunderstood. The passage that Mr Harvey complained of stated that the United States insisted that .though the the Allies were to spend the money America was only prepared to lend on Britain's security.

Lord Balfour said he could not find anything that had paesed which was misleading or obscure. Britain had suggested that, as she had hitherto borne the burden of financing the Allies, America, which had just entered the war, should relievi Britain of the duty of further financing the Allies. If the United States had adopted that plan there would have been no American loan to the British, and many controversies would have been avoided. But the United States had refused to lend except to Britain, throwing a double burden upon Britain, which she was still carrying. If United States' opinion adhered to the view that wartime deals between partners musl; be regarded as separate isolated undertakings, America's incontestable rights could not have teen enforced in a manner less likely to impair the happy Anglo-Americau relations than they had been recently—A. ftnd N.Z.