WAR DEBTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21982, 13 December 1934, Page 13

WAR DEBTS

ONLY ONE PAYMENT —1 FINLAND'S INSTALMENT DEFAULT BY OTHER NATIONS NO COMMENT IN AMERICA By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received December 12. 5.5 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 s The State Department published without comment to-day tlie Notes which have been exchanged between Britain and America regarding war debts. The Notes revealed that the State Department informed' Britain that any proposal it cared to make would be submitted to Congress for consideration, but the British Ambassador, Sir Ronald Lindsay, responded that his Government would not reopen negotiations at present. All the other debtor nations are expected to follow the lead of England except Finland, which to-day announced that it would make the regular payment of 228,538 dollars. QUESTION OF REVISION NO DISCUSSION AT PRESENT BRITAIN'S INTIMATION British Wireless HUGBY, Dec. 11 A White Paper issued this evening contains the Note from the United States Government to the British Government transmitting a statement of the amounts of war debt payments due. The Note conveys an assurance that the United States Government is fully disposed to discuss through diplomatic channels any proposals the British Government might desire to put forward in regard to payment of this indebtedness, adding that such proposals would receive careful consideration with a view to eventual submission to Congress. The British reply states: "In June last His Majesty's Government explained the circumstances which forced it to decide to suspend payments under the funding and moratorium agreements, pending final revision of the war debt settlement. In that Note it stated that recent events had shown that discussions with a view to final revision of the settlement could not at that time usefully be renewed. "His Majesty's Government has again most carefully reviewed the "position, but regrets that it has reached the conclusion that the considerations which governed its decision six months ago apply with equal force to-day. Accordingly the Government feels it to be usejess and therefore unwise to initiate negotiations at present, but will continue to watch for any effective opportunity of taking steps in that direction."