FINAL GESTURE.

Wairarapa Age, 21 December 1932, Page 5

FINAL GESTURE.

ISSUE PRESENTED SQUARELY TO ROOSEVELT. PROBLEM OF POLITICAL CO-OPERATION. (Received Tuesday, 7 pan.) WASHINGTON, December 19. In the opinion of competent political observers here, President Hoover has made his last war debts revision gesture. The matter is now squarely before Mr. Roosevelt, either to accept the President’s offer of co-operation in the formation of a bi-partisan. aemi-Oongres-siomal diplomatic commission, or, if he refuses, he must accept full ’responsibility himself after March 4. In his note to Congress to-day, which even the Democrats admitted is a broad-visioned and sound paper, Mr. Hoover took full consideration of the Congressional aversion to sanctioning the Debt Commission. At the same time, he strongly reiterated his contention that the matter is serious and requires immediate attention. The general tenor of statements by Democratic leaders indicates that Mr. Roosevelt will decline to co-operate. Reports from Albany indicate that he still dto?^ 9 ." egOt “ ti ? n thro “fih existing diplomatic agencies and will take no before his inauguration. Thus, Mr. Hoover must either on his personal initiative appoint a commisWhLh° r Wlthd ™ w fr °ni the matter. Which course he will take is problematical, but it is recognised that it is doubtful if Britain, for example, with A • ® Dter into negotiations with a commission whoso authority would automaticaljy terminate scarcely more than two months hence. Mr Hoover’s method of linking debts to other phases of the world economic situation is generally approved in CongresnX wbere H i 8 felt tha t ‘he nation should receive some concessions in disarmament and trade in return for evision, but the Democrats felt that M j Eoosovelt should assume no responsibility which might commit the party to a programme which later events to be disapproved. They seemed willing, though/ to let Mr Hoover form a commission to “explore the situation, reserving tho 0 wX ln a g . ; saw nt. Mr. Hoover's mention of an examination of thc debt obligations of those nations which “sought to pay ” is interpreted as meaning the smaller nations like Greece and Hungary and her°d^ult e it - ShC Soon her default. It i s generally agreed that W ° Ul<l ' be the to XnefiJ fr °® auy re-examination. a PP r oved the