In further answer to Senator Borah's speech on Allied debts to America which our telegrams report it might be suggested that it will be time enough to indicate to the Allies how they could pay when they have announced that they cannot. No such announcement has ever been made by Great Britain at least, which incurred most of the debt to America on behalf of her Allies. She ha never yet expressed any opinion in this matter but that she can, will and wants to pay. In the circumstances Senator Borah might more usefully employ his active imagination in deciding how that payment can be made without disorganizing either prices in America or her trade. For if when the next payment falls due Great Britain ships over golden sov eigns of which America alr ady possesses a vast number, prices will go up seriously: and if Great Britain tries to buy dollars and pay in them, exchange will be affected and American trade disorganized. So that the question is not whether Great Britain can pay but how, without inconvenience to the payee. Of course the American Government knows this perfectly well, but it is only right to explain the absurdity of speeches like Senator Borah's which otherwise make a disagreeable impression, unfair to his countrymen.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.