Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1922-04-21
Rx EpwARD W. PIcKARD

r ACKING the spirit that animated
H. the washington conference, that of
reaching an agreement, the European
economic 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-
lieves it will Many other eminent
men and a great many European news
papers are skepticaI. Already it is
evident that if any definite agreement
of wide scope is reached, it 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 civilized 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 and certain of the neutral ma
lions and by the universally admitted
fact that Europe cannot be restored
economically until Russia is again one
of the family of nations. At the very
outset Tchitcherin, after accepting the
Cannes conditions, precipitated an an
CRY debate with the French by insist
ing that it was necessary to discuss
disarmament. Lloyd George soon
quieted the uproar by saying:
Gentlemen, we have agreed not to
discuss disarmament, and therefore
our French colleague is right, but we
must not waste our time ia argument.
We must get on. Nevertheless, in
my opinion, the conference. will nat
urally result in disarmament"
Next day the Russians protested
the. presence Of the japanese and the
RHnanians, because Japan and Ru-
mania are "unlawfuIly occupying Rus
sian territories in Siberia and Bes-
sarabia. Viscount Ishii replied that
Japan would take part in the confer
ence in spite Of the Russian objec-
tions, and Bratiano, premier of Ru-
mania, asserted that Bessarabia,
which is mainly populated by his
countrymen, had been awarded to
Rumania by the allies Premier
Facta of Italy, who had been elected
permanent president of the confer
ence, ruled that in any case the in
vitations were irrevocable, and the
Bolshevik delegates Rugged them
selves with glee because the ruling
means that they cannot be ousted
even if they later repudiate the
Cannes conditions.
Organization of the committees
brought more trouble. The first and
chief one, to deal with Russian af-
fairs, is made up of Great Britain,
France, Italy, Germany, Russia, Bel
GUM and Japan, and of Poland Ru
mania, Sweden and Switzerland, elect
ed by the little overs. Tchitcherin
demanded that Russia be 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
Theunys for Belgium wanted Russia
and Germany excluded from this COM
mittee, to which Lloyd George replied
that in that case the conference might
as well be abandoned Immediately.
Russia. it was stated in Genoa, was
ready to give all the financial guaran-
tees demanded in the program which
the experts of the allies prepared last
month in London, but would not &C
cept the clause providing for mixed
tribunals to fix responsibility, consid-
ering the latter an infringement OF
Russian sovereignty. The soviet dele
cation had an alternate plan pre-
pared.