NATIONS' AVAR DEBTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18897, 20 December 1924, Page 11

NATIONS' AVAR DEBTS.

FRANCE AND AMERICA. . j l n I THE POSITION OF BRITAIN. "! t i a j LONDON. Dec. 6. " Discussing the proposed reduction of I the French debt to America, the city I ! editor of the Times says that it must be " ! remembered , that Britain was also a 0 creditor of France. " If France began to pay America we should have to demand payment our--1 selves," ho says. "As long as America " insists on payment wo cannot cancel c debts duo to us, nor can we reduce them, ' since by doing so we should not lighten c the burden of our debtors, but simply make, it possible for America to receive '" more." 0 The \vritei 1 declares that the complications of inter-Governmental debts are such that they cannot bo settled satisfactorily piecemeal, but only comprehensively on a common basis. In other words, an international conference of debtors and creditors may have to be held in order to secure a proper and mutually satisfactory settlement of the whole problem. A message from Washington states that : the hitch in the French debt-funding '• negotiations may delay the settlement 1 many months. French indecision and t British sensitiveness combined have I caused fundamental differences of opinion 1 among members of Congress, and the . matter has been adjourned until next ' j year. Officials declare that it. is very unlikely I that France will get better terms than i Britain when the details aro finally ironed 90%,