SECRET PACT

Hokitika Guardian, 13 July 1932, Page 6

SECRET PACT

TO FORCE AMERICA’S HAND.if

IN PAYING WAR DEBTS

(United Press Association—By Electric

Telegraph—Copyright.)

NEW YORK, July 11

The New York “Times’.” Washington correspondent, says: “Senator Smoot, a member of the Debt Commission declared that, the Secret Agreement appeared to him as being evidence of bad faith on the part of the debtors, and as being an attempt to club the United States into paying Europe’s war debts. He assertpd: The effect will be to make the United Stages rigidily resist even the granting of any further moratorium.” The New York “Times’” Washington correspondent says: Mr Stimson, (U.S. Secretary) in a statement on the war . debt's, emphatically declared that he had no information concerning, any “Gentlemen’s agreement” among the debtor nations that the conclusion otthe reparations is contingent upon the United States scaling down Europe’s war-time debts. He' said that no representative of the State Department had any part in the -agreement - nor had ' anv foreign \ envoys sounded., out the United States concerning its ,wil-.: lingness to make debt concessions. Senator Borah refused ;to com Went, but Kis colleagues say he is seeki.rig for more definite information unto, the circumstances' surrounding the Reparations reduction, after which he plans to make a speech in the Senate severely arraigning the foreign debtors, and also to review the “generous treatment” already accorded then, by the. United States. _____