Monday, May. 04, 1925

Debts

M. de Fleurian, French Ambassador to the Court of St. James's, arrived in Paris for a conference with Foreign Minister Aristide Briand. It was announced that, as soon as the German election is over, active negotiations for a settlement of the French debt to Britain will begin.

Meantime, in answer to U. S. criticism, iit was stated semi-officially that France had no intention of overlooking her debt to the U. S.; but, as Britain is willing to accept a sum from friend and foe on the Continent sufficient to pay her debt to the U. S., France is obliged to ascertain exactly what her commitments to Britain are before con sidering her obligations to the U. S.

A rumor, attributed to Finance Minister Joseph Caillaux, that France intended to sell Indo-China and the Antilles to the U. S. provoked a storm of indignation in Paris, particularly among the Colonial Deputies. There was, however, not the slightest foundation in fact for the rumor.

It was semi-officially announced that Finance Minister Caillaux will pay an early visit to Chancellor of the Exchequer Winston Churchill at London.