South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-01-27
GIVES
VIEWS ABOUT.
CONF FERENCE
French Foreign Minister Dis
CuSSeS Russian Question
and Territorial Claims
Presented.

PARIS, Jan. 27.-Stephen Pichon.
the French foreign minister. receiv-
ed a number Of correspondents at
his private Office today and talked
frankly of the status of the big for
eign questions as they are affected
by the conference. The meeting was
in the same room where the council
Of the great powers meets.
1--WE have no response from any
of the Russian elements" said the
minister. answering the first ques-
ton, relative TO the invitation to
the Russians to meet at Princess is
lands for a conference with the al
lied and associated powers. I'VE
have seen reports in the papers Civ
ing the views of the Russian groups
in Paris and the published dispatch
TO VI. Longuel, Oeader Of the French
minority socialists relative to the
bolshevists, but nothing had been re-
ceived from any groups or ele-
ments."
The minister was asked if these
non-official statements were accept
ed as indicating that the meeting at
Princess islands would not take
place.
There is some doubt as to that"
replied VI. Pichon, "as the bolshe-
visits in this non-official statement do
not say positively that they will not
attend but merely present some OBJ
jections"
May Hold Meeting.
AS to whether a meeting could be
arranged elsewhere than the Prin-
cess islands, the minister replied
that was a question for the council.
and he was only one of the mem
bers. he could not say what they
would do. The minister added, how
ever, that the opinion expressed by
the Russian groups in Paris seemed
to embody the views OF the govern
ments they represented. If no meet
ing took place on Princess islands,
it would then be for the council to
say what the next step with refer
ence to Russia would be.
Concerning the opposition In
some quarters TO inviting the Rus
sian factions to Princess islands, Mr..
Pichon said:
Evidently that grew out of the
assumption that the invitation TO all
the Russian elements was equival-
ent TO recognition of the bolshevist
government But that is not the
case. The invitation was TO all fac
tions, in an effort TO bring them to-
gether and the bolshevists among
the rest, as they have a defacto ex-
istence. There was no intention of
recognizing the bolshevists or any
other faction"
When asked if the bolshevists
were a de facto government, the
minister answered:
They are in existence and this
has led to their being invited with
the others"
Concerning the various interests
in Syria and Arabia. NJ. Pichon ex-
pressed the belief that call can be
reconciled by mutual concession"
League of Nations Discussed.
In reply TO the question as TO
| how long il would be before there
was an agreement on the league of
nations, he said:
THAT is difficult 10 say before we
have full plan. The drafting will
be the work Of a committee. then
the the conference must pass on the
work. But it is evident that there
will be an agreement on a common
| plan"
Speaking of claims for reparation.
VI. Pichon said that France and all
/ the other countries interested were
preparing data, but it would take
some time TO arrive at exact figures.
The published reports concerning
the amount of the claims varied. and
| II was impossible, the minister add
ed. to give the exact figures at pres
ent
Territorial questions, he went on.
were beginning to be considered now
| in connection with the various ques-
tions before the council. As to the
possibility of the discussion Of the
( league Of nations delaying territor-
ial adjustments, he said:
Not at all, as the examination Of
the two questions proceeds along
parallel lines"
Reports Incorrect.
Relative TO the French attitude
toward the holding OF the left bank
Of the Rhine, NJ. Pichon declared
that various published reports were
premature and more or less incor-
rect.
When his attention was called to
remarks which Marshal Foch had
made on ;he s.bject. ". Fioho1
said:
Marshal Foch spoke in Ms per-
sonal cape eisy on the SUBJECT AMI IL
has not vet seen considered here"
With respect 30 The considcra ION
OF disarmament, the minister said
that IL was part of the discussion OF
\ the league IF nations. but beyond
that had not bc"n t1Ken MP.
NJ Pichon said there was no 90
I lection TO using the views he had ex-
pressed as coming from him. and
added that as a former journalist
himself. he desired 10 aid his col
legues IN very way in the perform