Indianapolis Times, Volume 35, Number 242, Indianapolis, Marion County, 17 February 1923 — Page 7

SATURDAY, FEB. 17,1923

HE ON LLOYD GEORGE’S VIEWS (Continued From Page 1) have do treasure except industry, resources and the inherited skill of our people. We have nothing like the rich plains and fertilizing and ripening sunshine of France, which maintain 60 per cent of its population. Our sources of wealth—apart from coal—-are precarious, for they depend more largely than any other country on conditions outside our own. We are international providers, merchants and carriers. * “DEMORALIZED CONDITIONS OF MARKETS” * A sixty-year contract to pay large sums across the seas is in many respects a more serious' consideration for 115 than for countries whose riches are inherent in their soil and are therefore more self-contained. The demoralized conditions of the world markets has left us with a larger proportion of our industrial population unemployed than any other European country. / We have 1.400,000 workmen on the unemployed register drawing unemployment pay in one form or another. The annual cost to the nation of feeding its workless population runs to over one hundred million pounds sterling—almost the figure of the annuity demanded from Germany as a war indemnity.

Although there are signs of improvement. omens point to a prolonged period of subnormal trade. Continuous depression for years will mean that Britain will suffer more from the devastation of her trade caused by the | war than France from the devastation * >f her nrovinces. \ Bear Heaviest Burden Our country, anxious about its means of livelihood, with a million and a half of its workmen walking the -treets in vain search for work, has o bear the heaviest burden of taxation n the world. Why? Because it has not inly to pay interest on its own heavy war debts, but also on £3.000,000,010 which it either advanced to its allies or incurred on their behalf. That is why we felt confident the United States would not discriminate against a nation so situated. * When I talk of debts the allies owe us I want to emphasize the fact that these debts are not papw myths or tricks of accountancy. They are onerous facts, representing a real burden home at this hour by the bent and panting tax- i payer of Britain. If these loans had never been made the weight on his shoulders today would have been lighter by a shilling 1 and sixpence to two shillings in the pound. He is ©very year paying to iotual lenders—some British, some American—that proportion of his income. Its weight he undertook to carry" for his allies during the war on the sacred pledge of those allies that they would take it over after the war. We Make No Complaint | The American Government borrowed from the American public to make advances to Great Britain and nas called upon the British taxpayer to redeem his pledge. We make no complaint, for the demand is mitigation of the strict let-1 ter of the bond. But that amount is 1 in substance part of the debt owing by the allies to Britain. The British taxpayer naturally feels it is hard on him to have to hear not only his own legitimate burdens, hut that he should in addition have to carry the debts of his less heavily taxed brethren in continental countries. He naturally inferred that if equal pressure had been administered on all debtors alike U would have forced an all-round consultation which would have terminated in an all-round settlement. That was the real purport of the Balfour note. The true significance of that great document has been entirely misunderstood—sometimes carelessly, sometimes purposely, sometimes insolently. It has suffered the same fate as the treaty of Versailles. Opinion is sharply divided as to both between those who rend without reading and those read without rending. "Denunciatory Phrases” Most men have received theih impressions of the Balfour noet from t-he denunciatory phrases penned by" writers who received their ideas about it rom men who gave instructions to condemn It without ever reading It. Men who really understood both the Versailles treaty and the Balfour note have been too busy to find time to Inform. Interpret and explain. But the time has come when public attention shoyid be once more drawn to the remarkable and far-reaching proposals of the Balfour note. They constitute an offer on the part of Britain to measure claims against her allies by the extent of her obligations to the United States. The British Government even offered to Include the claim of the country against Germany in this crenerous concession. What does that mean in reference to present conditions? That if the allies and Germany between them found the 30,000,000 pounds a year whichy Britain has undertaken to pay America she would forego her claim to the 3,300,000,000 pounds due to her under contract and treaty. Through World Recovery It was a great offer and If accepted would have produced results beneficent beyond computation. Britain, which would have been the heaviest direct loser, would have profited Indirectly through the world recovery that would have ensued. How was It received? Some criticised it because it Yisked too little —some because it demanded too much. Many criticised because they were determined to approve nothing that emanated from such a Government, but most of its censors conaemned It because they never took the trouble to understand it and the shrillest among the street cries happened to denounce It. Th© Government that propounded It eoon after left the seat of authority and the administration that succeeded put forward anew scheme which attracted even less acceptance. So this great project, which should have settled forever the question which above all others Is vexing peace and unsettling minds In Europe, was

pigeonholed where it was not put in the waste-basket. But surely this is not the end of all endeavors to reach a settlement of tiie question of inter-allied debts. We cannot rest satisfied with an arrangement which effectively binds as to pay without prospect of the slightest contribution from our debtors. WHAT AMERICA CANNOT INDULGE IN WE CANNOT AFFORD. THE GOLD OF EUROPE NOW LIES IN ITS COFFERS. Who are we—plunged In the mire of debt up to our nostrils—to give ourselves airs of generosity 7 superior to the only golden land left in this warstripped earth?" "Britain Will Play Part” If there’s to be a general jubilee In which all alike participate in order to give the world anew start, then I feel sure Britain will play 7 her part bravely and nobly. But a gerrymandomL jubilee which frees France, Italy and Belgium from all tlieir debts whilst leaving Britain sweating to pay off debts incurred for her allies on the strength of their bond—THAT WE CANNOT TOLERATE. I trust the British government will' insist on an arrangement with our allies which, even if it is not a replica of our contract with the American Government, will at any rate Insure us a contribution that will safeguard us against loss under that contract. It is, I fear, hopeless to expect that we should be recouped the shilling and eightpence in the pound which interest on allied debts costs our tax-, payers, but at any rate we might be guaranteed against the sixpence in the pound which the American Installments involve. I feel the effort is beset with difficulties and that the oitiook is not hopeful. There have of late been a few discouraging symptoms. One is the inception accorded at the recent Paris conference to the British prime minBjpr's liberal offer regarding interallied debts. It was a tactical error to open the conference with such a scheme, and the effect was singularly unfortunate. Completely Isolated Had I been disposed to press my criticisms on the conduct of the recent negotiations in Paris it would have been that they were so managed that for the first time since the war Britain has been completely isolated at a European conference. That is a misfortune, for it encouraged the French government to rash action. Up to the last conference Britt ain and Italy had remained In substantial accord, even when France and Belgium took a different view, and Belgium had never before quitted any of the gatherings in complete disagreement.with Great Britain. SO FRANCE, ALWAYS TEMPTED AS SHE WAS TO OCCUPY THE RUHR, HESITATED TO DO SO IN THE FACE OF SO FORMIDABLE AN ALLIED RESISTANCE. What is relevant, however, to the subject of this article ,-is the cause of our unwonted isolatiorf on the occasion of the last con/ference. The British Premier started

Nobles Again {Heads Cast of “Lightniri

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MILTON NOBLES L ] In the east which will presemt ‘‘Llghtnin’at tilie week, of Feb. 26. Mr. Nooles, wiio played the chief role here last yeikr, will again be seen as Bill Jones. I

Kreisler in Concert at Murat Sunday

FRITZ KPUISLER Tomorrow at 3 o'clock, at the Murat Theater under the auspices of Ona B. Talbot, Fritz Kreisler, noted violinist, will bo heard in concert. , His program will be as follows: I Sonata A minor Grieg II Bruch Conctrto G minor .Bruch 111 (a) "Lotus Land" Cyril Scott (b) “Polchinelie (serenade) Kreisler (c) “Farewell to Cuehulan" (transcription by Kreisler-. .. .Londonderry Air (and) Two si {etches from Scheherazade Rimsky Korsakoff 1. “Chanson Arabe.” 2. "Danse Orientale.’’ Carl Lamson at the piano. Another Sunday afternbon concert announced by the Ona B. Talbot Fine Arts Enterprises will ba the violin recital by the noted Russian, Mischa Elman, on Sunday afternoon, March 4. negotiations by mating proposals which promised forgiveness of most cf the Indebtedness of these countries to Britain, but which implied Immediate arrangements for beginning repayment of the rest. This suggestion of repayment instantly consolidated opposition to the whole of the British plan. Had No Intention ernments on the continent had no intention, unless firmly pressed, of paying the smallest percentage of a debt they incurred on faith of a solemn engagement to repay a loan when that was possible and to pay interest meanwhile. If we point to the fact, as we did in tile Balfour note, that we liave undertaken to repay the United States the heavy debt incurred by as on behalf of the allies, they simply shrug their shoulders and say in effect: “That is your affair. We repay neither Britain nor America and there is an end of it.” The other unpleasant Incident is the speech delivered by M. Poincare in the French Chamber, in the course ofj which he dealt casually with the subject of interallied indebtedness. The French prime tninlster then announced categorically that France had no Intention of paying her debts until she has first received her share of reparations from Germany. What does that mean In effect? That the France represented by M. Poincare has no Intention of ever paying her debts. When the colossal figure of German reparations Is taken into account, • thirty years is a moderate estimate of the period required for its liquidation. Is the French debt to lie dormant, carrying no interest meanwhile? If it is then the debt is practically wiped out, for th© present value of a 500,000,000jKMind debt payablp thirty years hence is insignificant-. The present government of France has therefore declared it does not mean to pay what France owes. Surely the time to dictate conditions of your payment of a loan—when you propose-to pay, how much you propose to pay, or yvliether you mean to pay at all —is when you are borrowing and not after you have spent the money. Serves Platitudes And yet, In the same speech in which M. Poincare serves up hot platitudes for senatorial palates about the sanctity of national obligations, he dismisses France’s faithful ally with the cpld comfort that France is too busy collecting accounts due to her to attend to debts she owes^ I BELIEVE IN MY HEART THAT THERE IS A FRANCE OF WHIC H ID: IS NOT THE SI’OKKSM A N—A G R E A T FRANCE WHICH WILL NOT TREAT SHABBILY A FAITHFJ'L FRIEND WHO STOOD BY HER IN THE HOUR OF DESPAIR AND WHO IS NOW STAGGERING UNDER UNPAR- / ALLELE!) BUKD EN S INCURRED IN THE DISCHARGE OF OBLIGATIONS OF FRIENDSHIP. All this makes IF more necessary that the situation should be cleared up without undue delay. Having just completed negotiations for liquidating our own war indebtedness to America we are in a position to insist on a settlement with those on whose behalf we incurred that indebtedness. If nothing is done the conditions will harden against ns. We shall be assumed to have accepted the Poincare repudiation. I do not know what conditions the British government has made with the United States Government as to the marketability of the securities to be created in funding our debt. If they are to be placed on the market the chance of any future deal is destroyed. Ere that be done we must know where we are in reference to our own claims I trust the British government will act promptly. Delay was justifiable so long as we were In the same posi-

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

tion in reference to what we owed as what we claimed. ~~ If we do not insist on an arrangement m w the British taxpayer will have the fate of that poor beast between two burdens —his own and that of the allies. W. C. T. U. LEADER IS LAID TO REST - . - , -- A Body of Mrs, Clark Borne to Grave by Friends, Friends who stood with her and her husband in tho early days of the fight for prohibition were pallbearers at the funeral of Mrs. Frances G. Clark at Grace Presbyterian Church this afternoon. Mrs. Clark, 77, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. J. Frank Brown, 53 W. Thirtieth St., Thursday. The Rev. H. S. Sichterman was in charge. Officers of the Central W. C. T. U. gave the white ribbon service. Burial was in Crown Hill Cemetery. The pallbearers: E. A. De Vore, L D. Tyler, B. F. Watson, H. S. Bonslo, C. M. Fillmore and C. M. Lemon.

Pals Club to Give Minstrel The Pals Club, sponsored by the Jewish Federation, will give a minstrel Sunday night at the Communal building, 17 W. Morris St. Nineteen young men will take part. Mr. I. Kohn Is sponsor of the club and Miss Ruby Hendelman Is director of the minstrel. The end men will be Abe Needleman, Jake Kaminsky, David Klapper, Will Solomon. Louis Cohen ancl Ezra Rosenberg. Louis Levy Is interlocutor and Morris Goldberg will introduce a number of specialties. Other members of the cast will be David Goldman. Harry Lehner, Sam Chaplik, Ben Rader. Reuben Cohn, Solomon Popp, Jake Neubarg, Michael Laepsky, Robert Calderon, Morris Posnik, Joseph Gouseak and Jacob Eskl. . M

‘‘Render Unto Caesar That Which Is Caesar’s” To the Associated First National Pictures, Inc. —on the occasion of your public inaugural as “Producers"—the Circle Theater extends Congratulations! 1 ~ 4. When a great organization such as “First National’’ extends its fine idealism as distributors into the role of producers, and creates in its own studios, by its own artists such a masterly presentation as “Mighty Lak’ a Rose,” it is fitting that such a step be observed and to render unto “First National” that which belongs to it. All this is set down not alone in praise of the picture; but because in the picture we see you, it indicates the great heights of achievement of which you are capable when your talents are applied without compromise or limit, when productions are 'wholly and solely in your hands. • It is a magnificent foretaste of the future. Your unbounded success is assured in advance. Such policies, such notable presentations, will win the loyalty of the better theaters throughout the world, the acclaim of the great motion-picture public, and fulfill your high purpose to make “First National” emblematic of the finest attainments in the realm of films. Again—Oar Congratulations THE CIRCLE THEATER

OHIO THEATRE Tomorrow LLOYD HAMILTON MA I I EVERYTHING 1 " A FUNNY, FINNY FARCE X X A-J BUT HIS HOOK

MOTION PICTURES

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