The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-04-17
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OF their ideas according TO the
politics Of their papers and the
prejadiees Of their peoples. just as
eonfarsnce delegates are limited by
their governments. their foreign
offices and national passions.
These press men talk more freely
than they write, while the dele
| Ssts talk less freely than they
think. They argue, niorAiite and
| indulge in ifohicAl comment on
| political ihtritues ana personAli-
ties ana, though most OF them are
| agreed on the fundamental neces-
stiles OF the world situation, they
have TO be cautious in truth tell
Ing when they send their dis
patches. and leave unsAid many
things which they have discussed
openly amonE their comrades of
/ pen and press.
Dsll Leaaership wsald Gain Much.
Genoa Is q meeting place now OF
minds from every country in the
civilized world and OF some coun-
tries whose claim to civilization
could hardly be allowed. In each
OF these minds there Is the convic-
ton that, with bold leadership.
truth and common sense, much
could be done to reshape world
conditions and re-establish world
markets. But there are not many,
1t seems. who believe. for one mo-
ment. that common sense will pre-
vail or that bold leadership will
carry the Genoa conference to tri-
umphant results. Lloyd Georss,
upon whom the greatest hopes
! were set. was made to surrender
his liberty before setting out and.
like President Wilson at versailles.
no longer has the support Of a ma
ton behind him.
The French delegates are under
stern instructions to walk ont IL
any question Is raised hostile to
what Poineare believes TO be the
French interests. The German
delegates are unable 10 bring for
ward any proposition which would
involve an alteration OF the peace
treaty and are therefore dumb
men on all questions which ar.
most vital to their political and
! economic life. They can make but
feeble protests against financial
doom and cold statements of fact,
which make clear Germany's rot
ten state.
The Russian delegates will en-
counter hard opposition to any
pea Tor reconstruction of the So
wet government from France and
Great Britain. while they know
mat their vast country with $780,,
ooo.ooo people must get great aid
or fall into further and NOR.
frightful CULTS OF ruin.
Russian Problem Domi..tes
Yet they know also that their
problem will be the dominating in
terest OF the conference. that their
very ruin makes them a danger to
All Europe and that even those
VINO hate them most see the ne
cessity Tor bringing them back to
trade relations with the outside
world and for restoring them to
something like moral and indus
rai health. They are like Iepers
ntuns among men afraid Of dread
tui injection and upon this fear
,hey will base their claims I'D
.neir demands with tremendous
force.
Never has there been .pch :,
strange drama as this conf.r.nc.
since the peace at Versailles, II 4.
10 decide in large me1 re the
rate OF the world. The mr.. n,
peace or war will be arr.,ted NV
It's decisions. its chances OF aeren.
ment. and its possible failure n
the journalists of the world copId
report what secret thought. ar.
working in all those brains gathered
IN the council chamber. IL would
make strange reading. Those Ger
man delegates. turning over Innum-
crable papers. scrawling line. and
nsures on their blottinE pad.-ar.
they estimating the chances ~ +.
Russo-German alliance. the possi-
Die strength Of il. the disadvantares
and the inevitability Of it IL Ger
many is pressed too hard by
| France?
The French delegates are men
who understand figures and are
realists who sometimes look ahead
at future France. What 10 Ger
many defaults in her payments,
What IL Great Britain demands nav
ment OF her debts as the United
states demands her debts from
Great Britain? What is going TO
happen forty years from now when
| FRANCES birth rate has gone
dwindling down n Germany and
Russia get strong again: Suppos-
ing some one were to get up at
the conference and put all the
cards on the table face upwards IL
some delegate of great power.
careless of his political life. were
to rebel at his instructions. and he
a truth teller?
what Would Happerf
Surprising some leader like Lloyo
George with his great gift of ora
tory and inspired vision OF the
world and its menaces and tides of
passion and desperate needs were
suddenly to fling all diplomacy to
the wind and forget the cautions
imposed on him by his party poll
tics and let himself go. In a mad.
prophetic kind of way. telling the
truth though he die for it. drag
ging realities of truth with a crash
into the hush OF the council cham
Der. caring nothing for France, or
Germany. or Russia or any national
susceptibilities but burning with
zeal to have the sick world touched
with kind of divine madness. in
famed with human love as though
Christ had come 10 Genoa. What
would happen then?
What a stir IL would create anon o.