The Washington herald., 1922-01-24
President and Advisors
Wish to Wait Until Eu-
rope Reforms Budgets.
SERIES OF TALKS
HELD ON SUBJECT
Cabinet Members and
Senators in Meetings
With Chief.

America will not participate in
the world economic congress to be
held at Genoa. Italy, March s. ac-
cording to high administrative
quarters.
Yesterday it was learned that a
series of conferences. the first OF
which was held January s. and at
tended by President Harding. Secre-
Vary Hughes. Secretary Hoover,
Senator Lodge and Senator Frande-
gee. resulted in decision that Will.
in all probability, exclude America
from Genoa.
According to Information at the
Capitol, the conference grew out
of a visit to the White House by
Senator Brandegee, who is known
to be irreconcilably opposed to
Americas participation in any Eu-
ropean economic affairs.
President Harding is said to have
expressed a desire to consult Secre-
tary Hughes and Senator Root. and
this being highly satisfactory to
Senator Brandegee conference
was called.
Secretary Hughes Is said to have
emphatically opposed the project as
whole. declaring that the United
States should avoid any economic
alliance with Europe until they hac
put their house in order The Sec
retary of State took the same stand
as Secretary Hoover in respect to
the Inter-American High Commits
sion, in which he stated that an
economic conference was not pos
Ill ~ ha Il
their budgets.
Senators Lodge and Brandegee
are said to have ba cked up the de-
cision of Secretary Hughes. while
the President, who had previously
Indicated a leaning toward Amer
.can participation in the congress,
assumed the role Of listener and
bowed to the decision of his ad-
yisors.
France IS m Obstacle.
Reference was made TO the
"swashbuckling" attitude of certain
French politicians, which is said to
have cause disappointment in Amer
lea, and it was intimated that
America could not be expected TO
attend the Italian conference when
France had not accepted the naval
program of the limitation of arms
conference.
Another matter that would have
to be cleared up before America
could take part in an economic
conference is the Red army. This
fighting unit would nave to be dis
armed and disbanded it was agreed,
according to the information yes
terday.
Official Washington was of the
opinion last night that the unofficial
decision of the administration in
tantamount to a refusal to partic-
ipate IN any economical conference
in Europe until matters still under
discussion at the limitation of arms
conference have been satisfactorily
disposed of.
Blow to Genoa Session.
other officials declared that a re.
fusal on the part of the United
States to participate in the Genoa
conference would deal the economi,
congress n death blow, inasmuch rs
the United States was holding the
purse strings of the world.
To make the participation OF
America in an economic catherine
of the nations contingent upon tine
dissolution of the Red army and the
acceptance by France of the naval
program laid down by the arms con.
feracs was thought in high leEis.
lativc circles to indicate an inten.
ton on the part of the administra.
ton to get results from the limita
tion of arms conference or virtually
wash its hands of European af.
fairs.