DEBT SETTLEMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 22 January 1931, Page 6

DEBT SETTLEMENT

CONSJC RVATJ YES IMS AORId I

[United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.]

(Received this day at 8 a.m.)

LONDON, January 21

A stir followed flic publication ol the Conservative Central Office defence of Mr Baldwin’*; American debt settlement. This provoked an attack from Mr Lloyd George, followed by Sir Robert Horne, stating lie was in the United States at the time Lord Burnham and Sir Auckland Geddes signed the cable to Mr Bonar Law, stating the opinion that America could not then be induced to make further concessions. Now Lord Beaverbrook. a friend of the late Mr Bonar Law writes to the “Daily Express’’ saying it was perfectly true that- Sir R. Horne urged Mr Bonar Law's acceptance of a separate sekiement, of the American debt hut it. was equally true that Mr Bonar Law was not influenced by Sir R. Horne’s advice. On the contrary, he always strongly held that we ought to consider nothing but a general settlement of all war debts. He added that when Mr Baldwin made a premature disclosure of his approval of the settlement, Mr Bonar Law decided to resign, hut was eventually persuaded not to do so by Mr McKenna. who had boon also an opponent .of the terms of the settlement..