, 1922-04-20
Russian Delegates Start Rows in
the Economic Conference
in Genoa.
INSISTING ON DISARMAMENT
Lloyd Georges Plan for Ten-Year
Peace Pact-Germans Expect Dis
cussion Of Reparations-Senate's
Tariff Bill Reported-Progress
OF Fight to Save Navy.
BY EDWARD w. PicKARD

I ACIiING the spirit that animated
~ the Washington conference, that of
reaching an agreement. the European
econoHic conference which opened last
week in Genoa may. nevertheless, man.
age TO evolve some comprehensive
project that will meet the needs of
the old world. Premier Lloyd George,
who is dominating the meeting, be-
iieves It will. Many other eminent
men and Il great many European news
papers are skeptical. Already 1t is
evident that If any definite agreement
of wide scope is reached. 1t must be
through the yielding of France and
the smaller nations that are members
of the French "bloc."
Soviet Russia. through its spokes-
man. Tchitcherin. though accepting
the "civiiized nation test of the
Cannes agreement In order to obtain
a seat in the conference. is still in
sistent and almost -obstreperous. being
boIstered by the support of the Ger
mans aud certain of the neutral ma
lions and by the universally admitted
fact that Europe cannot he restored
ECONOMICALLY utllA INuSNiu IL uEbih. Nllt
of the family of nations. At the very
outset Tchltcherin, after accepting the
Cannes conditions, precipitated an an
CRY debate with the French by insist
ing that 1t was necessary to discuss
disarmament. Lloyd George soon
quleted the uproar by saying:
Gentlemen, we have agreed not to
1iGpnug 1fgo rpnnnRnpf md fhnrnfnra
u French colleague is right, II we
must not waste our time in argument.
We must get on. Nevertheless. In
my opinion, the conference will nat
urnIly result in disarmament"
Next day the Russians protested
the presence OF the japanese and the
l,umanians, because Japan and l,u-
mania are ~"unlawfulIy occupying Rus
sian territories in Siberia and Bes-
sarabla. Viscount lshil replied that
Japan would take part In the confer
nee In spite of the Russian objec-
tlons, and Bratiano. premier of Ru-
mania, asserted that Bessarabia,
which Is mainly populated by his
countrymen, had been awarded to
liuinania by the allies. Premier
Iracta OF Italy. who had been elected
permanent president OF the confer
ence. ruled that In any case the In
Vltations were ~irrevocnble, and the
Bolshevlk delegates Rugged them
selves with glee because the ruling
means that they cannot be ousted
even II they later repudiate the
Cannes conditions.
Organization Of the committees
brought more trouble. The first and
chief one. to deal with Russian af-
fairs, IL made up OF Great Britain.
France, Italy. Germany, Russia, Bel
GUM and japan. and of Poland, Ru.
mania, Sweden aud Switzerland, elect
ed by the little powers. Tchitcherln
demanded that Russia he given two
members on this committee because
Of her special position, but there was
such strenuous objection that he sub
sided. Barthou for France and
Thcunys for Belgium wanted Russia
ind Germany excluded from this com
mlttee. TO which Lloyd George replied
that In That case the conference might
8s well be abandoned Immediately.
l%,ussla. II was stated In Genoa. was
ready TO give al the financial guuran-
tees demanded In the program which
the experts OF the allies prepared last
month In London, but would not ac.
ccpt the clause providing for mixed
tribunals to nx responsibility, consid.
ering the latter an infringement OF
Russian sovereignty. The soviet dele
cation had an alternate plan pre-
Dnred.