Evening star., 1922-07-04
Little Hope Entertained for Sue
cess of Hague Parley,


With twenty five nations officially
represented at the new Hague confer
ence. now in progress, and France
and Belgium. despite earlier refusals.
participating. newspaper opinion con-
tinues pessimistic concerning the out
come. The illness of Lenin Is a very
discouraging factor. as it has ham
pered the Moscow government in de-
terminine its plans. This has over
shadowed the latest success of 1sloyd
George in winning Premier Poincare
of France to his views. There seems
general agreement that unless Russia
has learned lesson by the outcome
| at Genoa little relief can be hoped for
from the present expert discussions
in the Carnegie Peace Palace.
The French experts the Pittsburgh
Leader points out, admit facts. but
insist that principles must take prec
edence or there is an end to all
things tangible with background of
stability. So the battle lies between
British practicability and French
principles. The Fernch demand what
they say is their due under the treaty
and all known principles" Although
the United States Is not represented.
naturally. the Chicago News points
out. France has derived much COM
fort and moral support from the Rus
sian policy of the American govern
ment.' And the very fact that this
government does not participate
brings from the Hamilton Spectator
the lamentation that the one and
only country which possesses the
sword to cut the Gordian knot is
keeping aloof and, so long as that
attitude prevails. it is hopeless to ex-
pect satisfactory settlement"
The outlook for successful end
ing of the conference is none too
bright. in the opinion of the New
York World. although if the experts
were really free to explore the
problem and report the meeting
might be of some use" And the fact
| that Great Britain and France "are
! wide apart on the question of what
red delegates" makes the outlook
even worse. in the opinion of the
Providence Journal, because the diff
ference is serious and must be set
tied or compromised or all hope of
tangible results from the meeting
Chicago Post is concerned. it very
frankly declares that I'VE frankly
don't think the conference will force
a deathbed repentance upon the tot
tering bolshevik government. and we
do think that the British, by their
insistence on continuing the farce of
negotiating with the Russian dele
gates as il they were honest. self
respecting, God-fearing citizens, are
more and more losing the sympathy
and gaining the smiles of the world"
This sentiment likewise is indorsed
by the Cleveland Plain Dealer, which,
after paying tribute to the steadfast-
ness of Lloyd George, continues:
Were it not for the iron determina-
ton of this one Welshman the boil
shevists would already have been
consigned to stew in their own welt
er and Russia would have been ad-
monished that, much as civilization
desires Russian cooperation. there
can be no cooperation till the disease
of communism has been eradicated by
the Russians themselves. unques,
tionably. this must be the final
solution"
There is no question, the Memphis
Commercial Appeal points out. that
"the acknowledgment of the sane
tity of property rights is absolutely
sort of commercial relations with
Russia, because without 1T any rela-
tionship would not have the value OF
even a scrap of paper Ihe accept
ance of ordinary morality ana Justice
by the Russian delegates would go a
i,
do this, the Hartford Times believes. is
responsible for the United States stay
ing away from The Hague. because
it frankly recognizes the impossible
ity of doing business with the pres
ent Russian regime.
The only chance of successful
termination, the Minneapolis Tribune
believes, is that the soviet delegates
NAV be coerced by the bald necessi-
ties of the case to make principle
give way to expediency." The Utica
Press, entertaining similar view.
saws that Moscow will seize the op-
portunity thus to improve Its posi-
ton with the leading powers OF the
world seems entirely unlikely. The
Harue conference offers the soviet
leaders a chance again, but they have
committed themselves too far to take
ADVANTAGE of it," And the pity OF all
this, the ST. Louis Globe-Democrat
makes it plain, is that until Russia
RECEIVERS her sanity and gets back to
the solid foundation upon which
trade and commerce, and all their
blessings. have been founded since
the beginning of human intercourse
there can be no hope for restoration
Of prosperity to the world"
Trying to Communicate via Wire
less With Mars.