Evening Star Newspaper, January 8, 1933, Page 23

EVILS OF DEBTS DELAYS MAY PROVE EXAGGERATED THE SUNDAY | i U. S. Expecting Protracted Maneuvers, but Europe Has Concrete Plans to Present Aft BY FRANK H. SIMONDS. UMILIATING and {illumi as is the paral g ernmental mach: which has been disclosed anew by the debt tangle, there is neverthe- less reason to believe that the evil con- sequences are perhaps exaggerated Broadly speaking, the American fec ‘has been that the problem of the debis is so complicated and the questior ‘capacity to pay and similar technica details are so numerous that postpone- ment until March 4 must bring a har- vest of dis: But, in reality, this assumption to- tally cxcludes the European facts. It may be and probably is true that the American Congress, and possibly the President-elect as well, expects to carry on negotiations with individual Euro- pean countries and to engage in a pro- tracted game of balancing debt cuts and similar con- But the European countries concerned have no On the contrar and Brussels—t the chief«tiebtor 8 fairly def ing s the capitals of ns—have already ite idea of what sort of proposals they intend to make after March 4. And, although undoubtedly the several nations will make their pro- posals separately, they will be based on certain common principles and follow | ;‘similar lines. Moreover, the key of all | stiese proposals can be found in the| ylausanne agreement of last Summer,| {iwhich was deliberately designed to be {ithe corner stone of the whole system of h(’)! and reparations elimination. ? Reduced to 10 Per Cent. | Under the Young plan, the final stage i of reparations schedules, Germany was bound to pay an average of $450,000,000 annuelly for more than half a century Under the Lausanne agreement she was | asked to undertake a burden of $715,- | 000,000 in all, after a three-year mora- | torium and only if and when bonds for this sum could be floated upon the| world market at 90. Instead of $450,-| 000.000 annually, she would pay but| $43,000,000 to cover the interest and | amortization of the debt. | In a word, then, reparations were Teduced by the Lausanne sgreement to approximately 10 per cent of their value | under the Young plan. And 2 similar reduction of war debts will be asked by the allied debtors next March. In place :of a present capital value of $4,600,000,- 4 000, the British will ask that their debt | ,’be reduced to $460,000,000, and similar | ; €uts will bring the French and Italian | {to $400,000,000 and $200,000,000, re-| s spectively. In round figures, we are to| ¢ be offered $1,000,000,000 to liquidate a j#debt which still stands upon the books i!or about $11,000,000,000, so far as the | {l four considerable countries are con- | ..o But even then no cerned. hands immediately. On the contrary, | “the United States will be paid only 1 snd when bonds can be sold upon the Wworld market, enabling the debtor na- tions to acquire the funds. And, of course, the hope and expectation is that no small part of the funds will be supplied by American investors. More- over, it will be noted that the conditions are ldentical with those of the Lausanne agreement. General Default Possible, Europe—that is, our four considerable debtors—is going to offer us about 10 ceats on the dollar, payment to be made in the proceeds of bond sales upon the world markets and, obvicusly, pending the.arrival of a demand for such bonds all payment will be in suspense, If the American Congress refuses to accept this form of settlement, then a general default will ensue. Provided that the United States consents to discuss the subject of debt revision, both France and Belgium will doubtless pay the installment postponed last month. But that is the end for ail If the United States is ready next March to close out its debt claims for | 10 cents on the dollar settlement can be had without any extended discus- sion. If it is unwilling, although the | negotiations may be very long, the re- | sult is assured. Theoretically, the re-| dusel of the United States to accept | the proposals of its debtors must carry 2 threat to the Lausanne agreement. Practically, however, the European na- ¢ tions are resolved to preserve Lausanne &t all costs. " . When one examines the state of mind In the several debtor countries it is clear that, although their decisions are identical, 'their reasonings vary. The British stand on the double fact tha they can pay no longer at the old scale and that all payment constitutes in their minds an obstacle to the restora- tion of normal financial and economic | Telations. In paying last time they| made their ultimate concession to American public opinion and hence- forth they will be the most obstinate of 21l opponents of continued debt pay- ments Point to Hoover Moratorium, The French argument is that the Hoover moratorium destroyed their rep- arations claims upon Germany, which ¢ only sufficed to meet their Ameri- can and British war debts, but also to pay the interest on the cost of recon- structing their devastated areas. Since money is to change of | 1 er March 4. Italy's position is a bit more difficult because, unlike the other three nations, she has very immediate material reasons for desiring not to offend financial in- terests in the United States. Neverthe- I while it was an easy gesture to pay an installment of $1.500,000 in De- cember, the next bill will be more than twenty times as large and Italy cannot afford to purchase American applause | at such a price. On June 15, if the debt question is till unsettled, the four larger debtors | will default. Before that time, the largest offer any will make is 10 cents on a dollar, nor will any one of the four make any proposals in the matter of tariff or disarmament. Great Britain will not make any tariff proposals be- cause her hands are tied by the Ottawa agreements and, in addition, she al- ready buys more than twice as much as she sells in the United States. Hold Issues Inseparable. France will make concession because the French have steadily maintained that debts and disarmament are separate questions and no progress can be made toward the re- duction of armaments until the ques- tion of security has been dealt with. | Thus an American request for French | reduction in army or navy would meet | with a French demand for guarantees in addition to debt cancellation. As for tariff concessions, the French, like the British, buy more than they sell in America. Conceivably the British, if furnished with certain American and French assurances, would consider resumption of the gold standard. And it seems to be generally accepted that, until Brit- ain is back on the gold standard, her competitors in the world market will suffer. But we and the French would have to furnish the gold to put Britain back and keep her there. The idea that after March 4 Presi- dent Roosevelt, through his personal or diplomatic agents, is going to carry on nice quiet conversations with Paris, London, Rome and Brussels, trade in debt schedules for tariff schedules and set arms reduction against debt reduc- tion always with an eye to the in vidual status of the several debtor na- tions, is as absurd as it is prevalent. 1t is almost as absurd as the conception of a fact-finding commission to find out the fact that everyone in Europe knows, namely, that the war debtors have finished paying. Believes Payments Are Ended. When the French recently defaulted and the British paid in gold, scorning all advantageous employment of Ameri- can bonds with their incidental saving of $3,000,000, both were attempting in their own characteristic ways to bring home to the American Congress and public the basic fact that the debt pay- ing episode had come to an end. And 6 of our 12 European debto® nations followed the French rather than the British course. But it must be obvious that, knowing what they intend to offer, the Euro- pean debtors do not need any long time to carry on discussions with Washing- ton. If Washington had listened to their proposals for a moratorium last month they would have been ready with their proposals before January was over. Little by little, too, the idea is gaining strength abroad that the Ameri- can Congress would be better satisfied if the Eurcpean debtor defaulted than if the problem were laid to the door of the domestic politician. Just now it is a frequent experience around the Capitol to hear France de- nounced because of the default while Britain is praised because of payment. | | no disarmament BY VISCOUNT CECIL OF CHELWOOD. T is a good thing for Germany, for Europe and the world that Ger- many has returned to Geneva. Her absence would have impeded, though there is no reason that it tiations. At the same time, the five-power agreement, which announces this recon- ciliation, is more the repair of a blun- der than it is a step forward. Had the principal allied powers been willing to say last July what they are now saying, Germany need never have left the con- ference; the movement for rearmament among her militarists need never have received the impetus which, for bar- gaining purposes no doubt, the leaders should have prevented, successful nego- | But two months from now when it be- comes clear that, having paid, Britain is asking for a 90 per cent cut in further payments, then the tune will be changed suddenly and sharply. For what the Congress has in mind to do for Britain in reward for recent payment and in recognition of present difficulties, is at most an insignificant reduction tied up with tariff concessions and naval re- ductions. ‘Won't Make Concessions. As for the French, Congress is re- solved to make no concessions whatever to them, and the frequent phrase is, “Can't we fird a way to raise the French bill>” But having defaulted once already, at least temporarily, the French have tested out the dangers of this course. And such word as reaches me from Paris points to ultimate and final default efter June 15, if the French bill is not brought down to a leve! which will not exceed French re- | turns under the Lausanne agreement. What is odd in Washington today is that, particularly in congressional cir- cles, there is as yet no real appreciation of the meaning of the crisis in Decem- ber and the actual default of 7 out of 12 debtor nations. Privately, every member of the diplomatic corps in Washington, whether representing a debtor or a neutral nation, knows and says with great frankness that debt payments sre over. And with equal frankness all agree that neither dis- armament nor tariff concessions can be obtained in return for debt reductions. . But Congress will not have it so. It is satisfied that the French default was of German policy allowed it to be given; the merchants of blood and glory would have had no ground to greet this agree- ment with soaring shares. It is a bad precedent. If one great country can obtain by threats and abstention from discussion what she could not gain by unassisted argument, who knows that others may not follow her example? No Good Crying. But it is no good crying over spilt milk. What the peoples demand is an end to this conference—and a satisfac- tory end. The time to enter upon the decisive phase has come. Unless there can be a great and striking cut in arma- ments before long, unless this bitter armies, navies and air forces can be silenced, there will be no return of con- fidence between nations, no prospect of a successful world economic conference. ‘The recognition of equality of status in armaments, together with security for all nations, is the basis of the five- power agreement. Part 5 of the treaty of Versailles is to be replaced by Ger- many's adherence to the general dis- armament treaty, and in that treaty for making the agreement effective. Now there is no other acceptable way of reaching general equality of status armament. Any attempt to reconcile that principle with the obstinate affec: tions of the War Departments of Britain, France, America and Japan for their most deadly new mechanical toys spells ruin. When every type of weapon or wrangling about the relative strength of | must be embodied concrete provisions | 2 | BY BRUCE BARTON except by a substantial measure of dis- | STAR, WASHINGTON e rough and ready limit for Germany capital ship; that bombing airplan despite its inconvesient title, char d'assaut—is in reality a purely de- fensive implement, and that the sub- coastal defense. But is any one really deceived by such argnments unless he | wants to be? The fact remains that all military | alrcraft, all ships over the 10,000-ton | limit, all heavy land artillery over 42 inches caliber, all tanks and ail sub- and are forbidden to Germany. If we ment of national policy”—a promise solemnly renewed in the five-power agreement—and if in these circum- stances we are faced with the alterna- tive of inviting Germany to purchase those weapons or to give them all up ourselves, there can be no possible doubt that we should take the latter course. If, in these ways, some rightful satis- faction can be given to the German help disarmament—the Geneva still have to face the security claims of France and her allies. Gov- ernments come and governments go in Prance, but the claims remain much the same, not just claims? How can reliance upon national armaments disappear unless in a world in which the military power of all nations is at the service of the whole international soclety? My coun- try is very much averse to further BACK | | | are a quick and effective means of | coercing border tribes; that the tank— | spect. marine is only an inexpensive form of | marines, as well as poison gas, were | : | ginning of a new era. claim for equality—and given so as to | negotiators at | And in principle are they | military formation is considered. the | B O | military commitments on the continent | their formidable weapons. | of Europe, though they will, of course, | national air force, organized as a single carry out all their promises in this re- And there can be no ground for declining to engourage a universal sys- tem of concilidtign and arbitration for all disputes, as France desires. More- over the position has been greatly eased by the recent American declaration. “Hereafter,” said Mr. Stimson, “when | two nations engage in armed conflict, | one doe; law. or both of themi must be wrong- violators of this general treaty We no longer draw a circle about |them with the puactiliousness of the duelists’ code. Instead we denounce them as law-breakers. * * * Consulta- vant disarmament; if we reelly | tion between the signatories of the fi:fly R tiot i Ve ot instru- | Briand-Kellogg pact, when faced, with the threat of its violation, becomes in- evitable. * * * I believe that this view of the pact will become one of the great permanent policies of our nation.” Both Indorsed Policy. ‘The Democratic as well as the Re- publican party indorsed this policy dur. ing the presidential election campaign That declaration may be the be ceptance of such an obligation by all civilized nations transforms the situa- tion. No nger need there be any fear that actions of international po- lice may be nullified by a refusal of some great nation to Tecognize their justice. It is far better than the pro- posal for the creation of specially armed contingents. I cannot believe that scheme to be practicable; and were it realized, it would give rise to con- stant mistrust, jealously and intrigue concerning the use of these forces and PAGES The definite ac- | g & temporary matter 50on to be rectified, President Hoover set in motion the|It expects payment on June 15, with af ehain of events which deprived them | most only minor reductions. And Eu- of their Teparations tncome, they hold | ropean ideas on the subject are still | themselves absolved {rom the debt con- | politically unheeded. That way tract. And s will stand with | trouble of a costly kind. the French in thi 1 (Copyright, 1933.) Se lies ; ch for Site of Ancient Troy Assailed by French Archeologi PARIS.—Criticism ag ican archeologic missi Prof. Willam T. Semple versity of Cincinnati, i exploring the alleged ‘Troy, is delivered in th Prance by a French archeologist, Charles Vellay. ‘The main point of M. Vella soning is that the Semple expe has adopted as a demonstrated f: Schliemann hypothesis that H on the As! side of the ent elles, is the site of hat in the ican > first Hiss v in_squeezing the same Ho- | meric Troy into the 8.000 square yards | | of tiny Hissarlik. Declared Poetic Fancy. s vast palace, with its 62 S S court yards, warehouses and | stables” says M. Vellay, “for which rea- | Schliemann said the whole plateau of tion | Bal-Dagh would not suffice, was sub- mtly identified by the same Schlie- at Hissarlik, with a shack 25 ong and 15 feet wide. And as he find Homer's citadel of Per- > stmply decided but a poetic fancy the course of th with Hom ¥ solved problem by surmising that the river had ed its course since Homer's time."” e American mission, having started aking a seriously questioned hypo- thesis as @ demonstrated fact, cannot possibly accomplish anything of scien- {ific value, M. Vellay concludes. Its | only consequence will be, so far as it is Schiie- | able, to comfort aged acheologists who are reluctant to abandon the Schlie- | mann theory. ‘M. Vellay regrets that American mission did not under- B it e a methodical exploration of other ‘H-rL; ;thfm dv ts of the so-called Trojan plain. e, M. Vellay s out Fohndls challenged. e e of his He ve been questioned ogists and philologists. “They speak,” says M. Vellay, “of the ‘Homeric city’ of Hissarik as a demenstrated fact, making us think | that they have never read the Iliad,| LONDON.—At the present rate of which from one end to the other is an | marriage among London's “hello” girls overwhelming testimony against Troy- | Cupid appears to be spending a lot of Hissarlik.” time around the switchboard. On an M. Vellay points out that Schliemann | average 50 of the metropolitan oper- himself rejected the claims of the acrop- | a Tesign each month to get mar- olis of Bali-Dagh, which for & long |ried. This Is proof, according to heads time had been considered the site of jof the telephone service, that the op- M. real chief Wilhelm Doerpfeld,” cessor of Schliemann and i his efforts to proving that th hlie- | mann hypothesis is correct \ Theory Questioned. recent years, however theory seriously has be and, indeed, many arc come to the definit In anr rr| b7 50 London Telephone ‘Troy, because Bali-Dagh was only 65,- erators rank high in graciousness, 800d | from $300 to $500. No operators are | 000 square vards in extent, and there- | temper, brains and efficiency. fore much too small for Homer's Troy. It is even suggested that a pleasant Subsequently, however, he found no!voice may have sometiyg to do with !equality fall into three sections. he | Girls Wed Each Month| same dilemma presents itself. Either you retain it, in which case you invite Germany, Austria, Hungary and Bul- |garia to do likewise or to acquire it anew—a fantastic outcome of a * armament conference” and one which can only revive the bad old race in armaments—or you do not want these countries to potsess it, in which case you must in principle give it up your- | self—which is a real beginning of dis- armament Three Sections Seen. The proposals in the direction of First there is the moral satisfaction of sub- stituting a new, undiscriminating treat; which limits the forces of all natio: for all the special treaties of disarma. ment imposed upon Germany and her allies. Next there is the recognition of the fact that the rules concerning military service at present binding upon Ger- many are unsatisfactory from many points of view. Germany is obliged to have a small, highly trained, expensive professional army. It would be better, led, even in the interests of ent, to permit Gt y and rt and e colors t time limited. Delicate ground. but not plain- | 1y inadmissible with proper safeguards! Thirdly, -there is the proposal that those kinds of armaments which Ger- many cannot at present possess and which which are believed—as they cer- tainly were believed when the Versailles treaty was being drawn up—to facili- tate a sudden smashing attack should be given up by the other powers. To this reform I attribute far more importance than to the rest. For one thing, it is the only big, visible de- crease which can be effected in the armaments of the world without enter- ing into the tangled maze of a discus- sion upon “ratios” of strength. For another thing, it removes one of the flagrant inequalities between victors and vanquished. I know there at such a high average when hard times have crippled the efforts of Cupid in so many other guarters. Incidentally, of course, the “hello” girls, who are government employes, receive a “dot” or dowry on retirement. The amount depends on length of service and varies emploved who are less then 5 feet in heigh % Coprisnt, 1952) are | those who say that 10,000 tons was a| the maintenance of the marrlage rate | URING the political hullabaloo I ran across a little D item in the back part of the newspaper. d a meeting of the American College of Sur!éegggo;;ed said thesegdlstinguxsped gentlemen had agreed that great progress is being made in the fight against cancer, that “cancer is curable.” Enthused by this, I thereupon began a new policy to which I shall adhere during {i}l]l rll)ltu;;e campaigns. I started readin, wspaper from the back. Av%imiznihepskl\)guling and the tumult on page one, I gleaned this important information from between the ad- | vertisements: L | Item: Dr. Rollo Dyer recovers from a virulent attack of | typhus fever transmitted by a flea, and contracted volun- tarily 4s a part of his experimental work in the National Institute of Health f Item: A radically new searchlight to combat aircraft is | demonstrated at Fort Totten, N. Y. (Every move that makes | the instruments of war less effective is a step toward the abolition of war.) : Item: Dr. Albert Einstein mathematical and theoretical ph of Advanced Study at Princeton. &3 Item: The Nobel Prize in medicine is awarded jointly to Prof. Sir Charles Scott Sherrington of Oxford and Prof. Edgar Douglas Adrian of Cambridge for their study of nerves. Item: It has been found that germs often enter through the delicate sinus passages and find their way to vital organs. Item: Vitamins in the form of a teaspoonful of cod liver oil daily were found to reduce the number of colds in a group of men a yomen. u:-ln:tn(}\ “;'ariety of dandelion from whose milk rubber | can be extracted has been discovered in the Crimea. | Item: Dr. Alfred Adler begins a five-year appointment teaching medical psychology at the Long Island College of wzlc'l‘\:ie are only part of my budget of facts collected dur- ing the campaign. I set them down as an encouragement to my readers. Do not let yourself be hot and bothered. Under the violent surface of affairs the work of progress I g goesd)z:‘ waflr&.r Mr. Hoover and Mr. Roosevelt have become merely foot-notes ¢he historian of the future will record: “In 1932 an obscure scientist in his laboratory made a dis- covery of profound importance to the happiness of the race. (Copyright, 1933 appointed professor of cs for life at the Institute | Must Germany Rearm? Other Nations Pledge Equality, but Must Berlin Arm or Disarm to Gain Ii? An_inter- body, is the only suggestion for arming the international community which is likely to become practical politics—and that only if national air forces disap- pear. But behind the problem of interna- tional sanctions lies the far more vital question: “Is there unity of purpose in the Council to whom an international | force will owe obedience?” So long as | Japan, herself a permanent member of | the Council, is allowed to tear up the | covenant of the league with impunity, | it is a pitiful waste of breath to speak | of the Council of the League policing | the world. |Hoarding of Pennies Brings French Shortage PARIS.—The Paris mint has been triking 50-centime pieces at the rate f 70,000,000 a year since 1926, but is unable to keep up with the demand. The coins, which are of aluminum | bronze about the size of a dime and are | worth 2 cents in American money, seem | to disappear from circulation as fast as they are minted. |, Investigation has revealed that a new {form of ‘hoarding has sprung up | throughout Prance. In prewar days gold pieces used to be tucked away in a | Woolen sock on the top shelf of the | wardrobe. ‘Today peasants and city | dwellers alike are slipping their 50- | centime pieces into wine bottles. A quart bottle will hold several thou- |sand of the coins and flling it is & long job. Most of the hoarders prom- ise themselves and their families not to | stop saving until the bottle is full. It |is estimated that 100,000 savings bottles re in use throughout the country, con- taining at least 100,000,000 francs in 2- cent pieces. Until this year the coins, though struck at the mint, were issued under the guarantee of the Chamber of Com- merce of France. Treasury coinage be- | gan a few months ago. It is now sug- | gested that the old Chamber of Com- | merce pieces be called in shortly, oblig- | ing hoarders to disgorge them. i (Copyright, 19; Crooks Make Fortunes Fixing Whippet Races LONDON.—In _ attributing 100,000 | embezzlement cases in the course of a year in_Great Britain to gambling, | Canon Peter Green of Manchester, & famous crusader against all forms of gambling in this country, says that since the advent of the dog tracks bookmakers have been handling at | least $2,000,000.000 yearly and have re- ained more than 70 per cent of it. Referring to swindling practices of | which the people ought to be aware, | Canon Green says there have been oc- casions when greyhounds have been given hot milk and tripe before a race | to take 10 per cent off their speed. In some instances, he says. black silk thread has been used to tie two claws together to slow up the whippets. While strict supervision is exercised on licensed tracks, it has been founa | by investigators that crook gangs have | tried to tamper with the hounds on a | number “of unlicensed ones. The | swindlers have found that a piece of sponge cake soaked in ginger beer— a tempting morsel for the hounds certain speed reducer (Copyright, 1932 {Italian Boxer Outdoes | Tunney by Writing Play ROME, Italy—The influence on life and letters of Eugene Tunney, former world heavyweight boxing champion, became apparent recently in Milan, where the former Italian heavyweight champion, Erminio Spalla, who was outpointed by Tunney earlier in the Md- rine’s career as a fighter, produced nothing less than a complete play. | Spalla thereby outdoes Tunney, whose fame as a man of letters rests exclu- sively on his acquaintance with Thorn- ton Wilder, his lecture on Shakespeare to a Yale University class and his au- an enthusiastic audi- ence. After every act the spectators applauded violently and called the blushing auther to the stage to take a ceries of 'S. ‘(Ow"l:ht 1933.) 2 the | woman mayors 12 are married and 4 unmarried. 3 |TWO CONFLICTING FORCES ' MEET IN LATIN NATIONS alism Prominent as Pace of Both Aide BY GASTON NERVAL. I S the new year begins two great A icting forces are at work throughout the world—interna- tional co-operation and nation alism. The pace of both has | been accelerated by the world-wide economic depression. ‘This continued | clash will be the paramount world issue of 1933, as it was that of the year just ended | International co-operation, the ned for which has been stressed by the eco- nomic crisis, is represented by the com- bined peace efforts of the leading world powers, the activities of the League of | Nations, the Geneva and Lausanne agreements. the disarmament move- ment, the forthcoming World Economic Conference, the agitation for the low- ering of customs tariffs and adjustment | of intergovernrental debts. etc. | Blocking the advance of this construc- tive tendency is the spirit of national- ism, also aroused by material needs and disarrangements growing out of the depression, and easily carried to ex- | tremes in a period of discontent and political effervescence such as the present. Outstanding instances of na- tionalistic outbursts are today the Sino- | Japanese crisis in Manchuria, the re- vival of the junker spirit in Germany, the militant mood of the Central Euro- pean states, the Polish corridor feud, the debt defaults, excessive armaments, high tariff walls, bitter commercial rivalry among nations, etc. Clash in Latin America. In Latin America, too, as in the world at large, the major problem facing the new year is tne clash of those two opposing forces. International co- operation is represented in that par- ticular region by the efforts of many American republics to stop belligerent activities in the Chaco and the Leticia conflicts; by their endeavors to inau- e 8 new era in inter-American relations, with more respect for the sovereignty of the small Caribbean states and a greater equality among nations; by the attempts to conclude non-aggression pacts and economic agreements for the abolition of tariffs; by the elimination of causes fomenting ill will, as foreign intervention with domestic affairs, non-recognition of revolutionary governments, forcible col- lection of national debts and other mistaken policies of earlier years. On the other hand, nationalism is present, and very much so—in the Chaco and the Leticia controversies, where the peace of half of South Amer- ica is involved; in the anti-religious campaign in Mexico; in the Leftist movements in Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Costa Rica and Ecuador, and in the tarif war which has been raging in that part of the world for the past two years. So much for the international out- look. Internally the same problem appears in nearly all the Latin-Ameri- can countries, although in this case the clash is between national co-operation and the interests and ambitions of party groups. Here, too, the economic depression has made the clash more acute, stressing on the one hand the need for national co-operation, but in- tensifying on the other personal pas- slons and political intolerance. It is impossible to predict what 1933 hes in store for the Latin republics south of the Rio Grande. Only last week I pointed out how in 1932 almost twice as many presidential inaugura- tions as were scheduled took place. But as the first leaf of the new year is turned a glance at the political horizon may reveal at work in almost every one of the Latin-American countries those two opposing forces which in an ex- ternal sense may be known as inter- national co-operation and nationalism, and in an internal one as national co- operation and party struggle. Faces Three Problems, In Mexico the recently inaugurated government of Gen. Rodriguez, who was appointed to complete the term of re- signing President Ortiz Rublo, is facing three major problems in the solution of the anti-religious campaign, the re- pression of radical movements in cer- tain of the states, and the preparation tof the coming presidential campaign, which is usually preceded by domestic unrest. Guatemala and Honduras are both awaiting eagerly the arbitral award of the Washington boundary tribunal, Which is to decide in a few days the fate of a large territory claimed for years by the two countries. The award is naturally expected to stimulate na- tionalistic sentiments. Besides, one of the two countries, Honduras, is just coming out of an | internal crisis. The rebellion which | followed the November presidential election was only last week reported completely defeated. Next month the | reins of government must be turned over to the party victor in the elec- tion, which is also the opposition party. In Nicaragua, though a new regime was inaugurated orderly on the first day of the year after a peaceful and fair election, and though the presence of Dr. Juan B. Sacasa as its head is a guaranty of national co-operation and administrative efficiency, a group of rebels is still in arms in the mountains of Nueva Segovia, under the leader- ship of Gen. Sandino. As President Sacasa stated in his inaugural address, the major task of his government will be to restore complete domestic peace, and this task has now been made more difficult by the withdrawal of the last | United States Marines remaining on International Co-operation and Nation- New Year Begins. d by Depression. Nicaraguan soil. ‘The new administra- tion will have to deal alone with rebels who defied for several years the efficiency of Uncle Sam’s bluejackets. In Costa Rica the recrudescence of the nationalistic spirit has resulted in the denuficiation of the Washington treaty of 3923, which condemned gov- ernment by revolution and entailed & self-limitation of sovereignty on the | part of the Central American republics. Same True in El Salvador. The same is true of El Salvador, where the present government is denied recognition by the neighboring coun- | tries because of that treaty. Internally both the Costa Rican and the Salva- doran governments have recently been reported suppressing communistic plots. In Panama and the Dominican Re- public the outlook seems clearer. The new Arias regime in the former and the Trujillo administration in the lat- ter appear entirely devoted to econamic reconstruction and national relief. This is also the case in Venezuela. where not even the financial problems of the government are so pressing as in the rest of the Latin American republics. In Cuba the domestic struggle which has been latent for the past two years between the partisans and enemies 2( the Machado rule is still prevailing The latter are earnestly endeavoring to convert the internal problem into an international one by requesting the intervention of the United States. In Haiti the nationalistic spirit has lately been aroused considerably by the proposed new treaty with the United States, which fell short of assuring the natives the full autonomy for which they have been clamoring. After the inauguration of President-elect Roose- velt the Haitians will probably renew their efforts to conclude their present status of political and economic de- pendence on the United States, for which the rext Chief Executive was partly responsible when Assistant Sec- retary of the Navy. In Colombia and Peru, domestic prob- lems have for the moment given way to an outburst of nationalism, provoked by the Leticia incident in the Amazon region. September 1, 1932, a group of Peruvian sssailants seized the port of Leticia, 4mied to Colombia by the Salomon-Ytzano treaty, signed by the two countties only a few years before, At first the Peruvian government dis- claimed responsibility for the action, but when the Colombian authorities started to make provisions for the resto- ration of their sovereignty over Leticia the former announced its intention to protect the Peruvian civilians who had seized the town. Ever since both gov- ernments have been engaged in warlike preparations. Soldiers and ammunition are being rapidly concentrated near Leticia. Colombian warships have start- ed up the Amazon River. And Peruvian planes, 100 of them. are reported ready to prevent them from reaching their destination. Clash Seems Inevitable. As the days go by a viclent clash seems unavoidable. Peruvian sugges- tions for submitting the dispute to a conciliation tribunal sre logically re- fused by Colombia, who first wants her sovereignty restored. She considers the Leticia affair one of a domestic chare acter in which the Colombian authori= ties, alone “are called to act. In the meantime Brezil is also rein- forcing her border troops to protect her neutrality in the event of a Peruvian= Colombian encounter. The attention of the Brazilian government is thus being diverted from internal matters—quite serious at the conclusion of the recent bloody civil war and on the eve of & presidential election—to an interna- tional problem which may have fare reaching consequences. Further to the south, another nation- alistic clash has Bolivia and Paraguay in a virtual state of war. Since the middle of last year Bolivian and Para= guayan regular troops, have been bate tling for the possession of the Chaco, Just before the new year began Para= guay rejected the truce proposal sube mitted by the Commission of Neutrals —made up of the United States, Colom- bia, Mexico, Cuba and Uruguay—which had already been accepted in principle by Bolivia, and ordered her representa=- tive in the peace negotiations to sail for home. In the meantime, a new Bo- livian offensive began in the Chaco un- der the direction of Gen. Hans Kundt ©of World War fame. The government of Argentina is busy trying to bring about some sort of con- ciliation between the disputant countries and proposing anti-war pacts to Brazil and other neighboring States, while do- mestic peace at home is thereatened by radical agitators and enemies of the Justo administration. In Ecuador and Chile two recently inaugurated regimes, those of President Martinez Mera and President Ales- sandri, are just as busy restoring political normalcy after a series of internal dis- orders which during 1932 almost de- stroyed governmental stability in those two countries. In both, as in Uruguay, socialistic tendencies have been making considerable progress, although the menace of disturbances arising out of such progress has appeared, so far, only in Chile. ‘The problem of the clash between the two predominating forces is ever pres- ent. Where it is not in the form of an external conflict between international co-operation and nationalism, it is in that of an internal conflict between na- tional co-operation and class and group rivalries. (Copyright, 1933.) With Problem LONDON.—With the recent election of woman mayors in 16 of the 355 towns in England and Wales, which are entitled to one of these dignitaries, sev- eral communities are confronted with the problem of buying impressive re- galia for their feminine chief execu- tives, While it is considered essential that a mayor should be equipped with a chain and cocked hat and robes of office in keeping with the dignity of his position, in many cases the regalia | handed down from mayor to mayor was made for men. Some towns consider the outlay on new finery unjustifiable, particularly as it may be years before they have another woman mayor. In fact, in several of the poorer communities it has long been a mayoral grievance that the permanent robes are disreputable and the chains of office have a second hand appearance. There have been occasions when the woman mayors have bought their own robes of office to maintain the dignity of their positions. ‘When a woman is elected to the chief civic office she is still called mayor and | not mayoress. The latter title belongs | to the wife of a mayor, or to any| woman he chooses to act as hostess | for him, and even a lady mayor ap- points some one else, often her daugh- ter or sister, as mayoress. Of the new The entrance into office of some mayors in this country is the occasion for lflg‘ lgualnz cu&emmm of great grects his mccesr wih & E.l' while rantham’s chief magistrate is stripped of his robes and the town clerk bim on the head with a mallet at exfin&lon of his year of office. High Wycombe the new mayor |Woman Mayors Worry British Towns of Official Regalia and other civic worthies are weighed at the Borough Department of Weights, and Measures, and their avoidupois is noted down in the civic records, The Mayor of Lincoin has a gold ring placed on his finger after his election, and Cheltenham’s chief factotum is given a gold-mounted cane. At the tiny Essex fishing port of Brightlingsea —which is pronounced “Brittlesea” by the locals—the new mayor has to climb the church tower to be inaugurated into office. This is a severe ordeal for the. honored citizen of Falstaffian girth, In addition to the many smaller fry there are 17 lord mayors, chief of whom is the Lord Mayor of London. The metropolis has possessed one of these functionaries since 1189, though it was not until late in the 14th century that he was called lord mayor. The present holder of the office, Sir Percy Green- away, is the 742d since that time. (Copyright. 193: In Hawaiian Islands HONOLULU, Hawaii—Hawali's cost of living has dropped about 182 per cent on the whole, during the last five years and many commodities show mueh larger reductions in price, ac~ cording to a local survey recently com-, pleted. tuffs in many cases have dropped from 26 to 38 per cent. Hawali has not suffered the extreme of most mainland commu- nitles and so its wage and salary level has shown less reduction than that of the average community in the Conti: nental United States. Most living essen- tials have dropped more rapidly than the wage and salary index figure, q (Copyright, 1933.) 1‘