The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-03
ONLY ONE RUSSIAN
WILLING TO CONFER
Head Of Crfmea Government
Offers to Go to Princes ISL
and for Conference.
PICHON DEFINES VIEWS
French Foreign Minister Tells
Correspondents About
Progress Of Peace.
PTCHON DEFINES VIEWS
BY me Associated Press.

practice he Initiated last sunday OIL
meeting personally the foreign news
paper correspondents NJ. Pichon, thu
French Foreign Minister. frankly dis
| cussed to-day some subjects which ar,
absorbing the attention of the con
| ference and the public. He was obliged
| to state with regard to several OF these
| matters that he was unable TO give the
! desired information because the SD
preme Council had not yet been able
to function upon them. or was without
data
With reference to the suspended et-
fort to bring together the representa-
tives. OF the various Russian political
sections and the peace commissioners
at a meeting at Princes Islands. he
said that so far there had been only one
official reply to the invitation which the
council had sent out by wireless. and
that mad come In tho shape OF docu-
ment sent by a Russian gentleman. who
had been member of the Duma and is
row head Of the Government of Crimea.
He expressed a willingness to go to
the Princes Islands. but feared that he
would be alone so far as the other Rus
sian factions were concerned. The Rus
sian groups In Paris had written a letter
to Premier Clemenceau saying they
would not go TO Princes Islands, but
their own Government had not responded
to the invitation formally.
NJ. Pichon said he had noticed the re-
ply Of the Bolshevik Government as pub
lished In the newspaper. but that Il had
never been received officially. NJ. Lon
guet. proprietor OF Paris newspa per.
who received the communication. had
been denied use OF the French wireless
to make replies to the Bclshevik Cow
eminent because. NJ. Pinchon said. he
had been informed in a note that there
was no authorization for the use OF the
wireless for other than official commune
cations.
AS to the Onlsk Government. Admiral
Kolchak. its head, had not said that he
would refuse to attend the Princes ISL
and conference. but IL appeared that he
was rather Inclined not to do so.
Touching the situation in eastern
Siberia, NJ Pichon. in answer to an In
Quiry. said that undoubtedly the En-
tente military forces there were subject
Council IN Paris. Gen. Janin Of the
Czecho-Slovak forces was commander
In chief 30 FAR as the actual disposition
and movement Of the troops were con-
cerred, but Gen. Knox of the British
army was charged with the control and
transportation OF all supplies.
In explanation OF Frances attitude
toward Finland NJ Pichon said that
while the Government there had been
recognized at first by Frnace such
action had been reconsidered because OF
the developments In the movement in
Finland to install a nIonarchical form OF
government. However. that movement
had been stopped and France intended
TO resume relations with Finland.
Frontiers Not Yet Fixed.
Turning to Poland. he pointed out
that the frontiers OF that country had
not yet been fixed. All declarations OF
the Entente had been to the effect that
Poland should receive access to the sea
and one or two more ports. But he could
not tell whether Danzg would he one OF
the ports. The effects OF the creation OF
such Il condition upon eastern Prussia
had not YET been considered and he was
less concerned with the fate OF east
Prussia than the fate of Poland
In reply TO the suggestion that the
American troops might be withdrawn
from northern Russia In the Archangel
sector II the Princes Islands confer
ence were not held, NJ Pichon said the
conference had not yet considered what
steps would be taken in event OF failure,
and that there had been no consultations
even on the subject since the invita-
tons had been despatched
As for French activities in southern
Russia, he declared that those troops
were simply protecting the ports The
news from the Archangel section was
Tot sufficiently definite az ye. 70 Justify
any conclusion.
Undoubtedly. he added. the Rolsheviki
had stronger forces there now than they
had before, so IL had been considered
safer to bring the allied troops closer
together That was all that could be
said now. except that he did not regard
the situation as dangerous. and It might
he said that II the Bolsheviki were
stronger IN the north they had become
weaker elsewhere.
Equipment Lacking.