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Show Uncle Sam Not Sanla Clans It in jiiMt about liniii Tor our former allies in Europe to learn thai, Uiide Sain and Santa Glaus aren't one and the name. This newspaper hopes that Roosevelt will be the one to teach them the fact. Giviti'.ation has many foundations, but perhaps the most important one is honor. And honor has a very direct application ap-plication to the debt question. The United States saved the war for the allies. With patriotic fervor we enlisted a huge army, conscripted the resources of our nation, and sent a husre expeditionary army thousands of miles across the sea. We loaned billions to the allies for purchase of war materials. And we have since canceled the billions of debt incurred by Europe during the war! But now, when we ask partial payment on loans made after the war, we find that once great and respected nations assume the attitude of stalling debtors. And at the same time they are lending millions to other nations and spending unprecedented sums on armaments. Despite its "disarmament" gestures and its League of Nations, Na-tions, Europe today has more men under arms than it had in 1914. 1'erhaps it is true that Europe can not pay in full. Perhaps Per-haps it will be necessary to accept European territory in the western hemisphere as part payment. Perhaps we can further guarantee our security by making reductions conditional condi-tional on reducing the relative strength of Europe's fleets. But it is certain that we can do better than listen to the private creditors of Europe who want to see the financial condition of the countries in which they have invested helped even at the expense of American taxpayers. Wall Street says "Cancel." And the Wall Street politicians poli-ticians say "Cancel." But our governing majority should realize that the great American public knows better. |