The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-27
RUSSIA NOT YET
 HEARD FROM AT !. PEACE CONFERENCE
Bolshevists Thus Far Have Failed to Respond to the Invitation to Meet at
 Princes Islands
By Associated Press

Paris, January 26.-Stephen Pichon, the. French foreign minister, received the Asso- ciated Press and a number of American, British, Italian and Japanese newspaper core spondents at his private office in the foreign office today and talked freely and frankly of the status of the big foreign ques- tions as they are affected by the conference. The meeting was in the same room where the council of the great powers meet.
 We have nc response from any of the Russian clements said the minister answering the first question, relative to the invitation to the Russians to meet at Princes Islands for a conference with the allied and associate powers. We have seen reports in the papers giving the views of the Russian groups in Paris and the published dispatch to M Longuest deader of the French minority social ists) relative to the bolshevists. But be- yond these press publications nothing has been received from any groups or clements
 The minister was asked if these non- official statements were accepted as in- dcating that the meeting at Princes Islands would not take place.
 There is some doubt as to that" re- piled M. Pichon, "as the bolshevists in this non-official statement do not say positively that they will not attend, but merely present some objections"
 As to whether a meeting could be ar rarg ged elsewhere than Princes Islands the minister replied that was question for the council and as he was only one of the members he could not say what tLey would do The minister added, how ever, that the opinion expressed by the Russian groups in Paris seemed to em- body the views of the governments they represented If no meeting took place on Princes Islands it would then be for the council to say what the next step with refernece to Russia would be.
 Concerning the opposition in some quarters to inviting the Russian factions to Princes Islands. NJ. Pichon said:
 BOLSHEvIKS NOT RECOGNIZED
 Evidently that grew out of the as- sumption that the invitation to all the Russian clements was equivalent to recognition of the bolshevist government. But that is not the case. The invitation was to all factions in an effort to bring them together, and the bolshevists among the rest, they have de facto exist ence. There was no intention of recog- nizing the bolsheyists or any other fac tion
 When asked if the bolshevists were a de facto government. the minister an- swered:
 They have de flcto existence and this has led to their being invited with the others
 Concerning the various interests in Syria and Arabia, M. Pichon expressed the belief that "a!l can be reconciled by mutual concession
 Tn reply to the question: as to how long it would be before there was an agree ment on the league of nations. he said.
 That Is difficult to say before we have a full plan. The drafting will he the work of committee and then the con ference must pass on the work. But it is evident that there will be an agree ment on a common plan"
 Speaking of the claims for reparation, M Pichon said that France and all tn. other countries interested were preparing 2 data: but it would take some time to arr rive at exact figures. The published re- ports concerning the amount of the claims varied, and it was impossible, (C0nttnued on Page TvoD