That article doesn't seem to mention all the technology that was handed over by the Brits to the Americans, e.g Atom bomb research, radar,etc etc, plus all the military bases in the UK and overseas.
....or indeed the vast profits made (£700M in 1918 money) by US companies who were finally alowed by the US goverment to supply the Allies in 1916. After WW1 the US gold reserve was up by £278M (1918 money). Argentina came out well too with £50M profit (1918 money) from supplying over 500,000 tonnes of meat per year to the British Army!
The £2.3BN (1918 money) owed to Britain was made up mostly of 'loaned' equipment and supplies the vast majority of which went to Russia. The equipment and supplies Britain 'gave' to other Allies included:
481 heavy guns (60+ lbs shell)
509 medium (field) guns
50,022 machine guns
1,254,000 rifles
2,819,000,000 bullets
3,700 trench mortars
998,000 shells
13,662,000 grenades
5,936,000 tons of iron & steel
4,536,000 tons of non ferrous metals
795,000 tons of high explosives
1360 cars
11,858 lorries
45,997 motorcycles
1503 aeroplanes
6 airships
119 tanks
All quite staggering numbers really- the equipment and loans amounting to £104,000,000,000 in today's money most of which, as the article correctly points out, has never (or ever will be) re-paid!
With all good intentions the money and equipment was initially supplied to Russia to keep the Russians fighting the Germans on the Eastern Front. The problems started with the Bolshevik (Red Russian) uprising in November 1917. Britain continued supplying the White Russians until fighting ended in 1921 the Red Communist Russians being the winners. Who of course saw no need to pay off the debts of the Tsarist White Russians they were fighting!
Never keep backing a loser......
