Evening star., 1922-01-15
THE STORY THE WEEK HAS TOLD

len chamber melted to his elo-
quence: 1t would surely have given
him a handsome vote of confidence.
Hut he resigned. Leaving the
chamber. he received tremendous
ovation.
What now7 Poincare, reputed
the most extreme Of the nationalists,
and chiefly responsible for Brands
retirement, succeeds Briand. He
stands for relentless enforcement Of
!, the Versailles treaty. by force. II
, necessary.
The German reparation question
becomes more dark and dubious
than ever. Poincare and his SUP
porters have criticised the pro-
posed pact with Britain on the
ground shat 1t fails to affirm French
rights under The Versailles treaty.
Indeed. the only reference to repara-
tions in the memorandum draft Of
that treaty made public is state
+ ment that Great Britain cannot
agree to postponement Of the recon-
French desires regarding repara-
tions and security" That treaty. It's
critics say. wou1d commit France
to assist In the reconstruction Of
Russia. but, is silent concerning
more important matter-the recon-
struction Of France. 1t would inn
pose on France conditions incon-
sistent with her sovereignty; such
as restriction of naval construction.
Indeed, say. the nationalists, 1t pro-
poses to make France a Servant
state.
=. Lloy1 George has. gone to- Paris
from Cannes. hoping to salvage
something from the wreck Of the
late conference. 1t seems most un-
likely that he Will be able to save
the treaty without important modifi-
cations thereof. II will be interest
ing to watch the disclosure Of Poin-
cares attitude toward reparations
/, and the near east (matters on which
no decision was reached at Cannes);
toward the proposed treaty. and to-
ward the Genoa conference and the
consortium to finance European re
construction. It may be argued that
the nduption Of the resolution calling
the Genoa conference pra cticaily en-
cages the governments Of the powers
represented on the supreme council
to recognize the soviet Rovernm"rt
on it's acceptance Of certain rorfii-
tiOna: that only prompt renudiaticn
by the governments themselves could
d Justify iater refusal Of RECOGNITION
should the Moscow government ac-
cept the conditions. The national
lists have assailad the resolution m
arconnt Of that en"a cement. Will
Pofncare repndiate it?.
Ard what by the way. is going 70
he the anewer Of our government to
the invitation to Genoa?
II learn the following at tn" l-st
moment: The s"arer1e council did
not adjourn until the 18th. The
arropuemer+ ss tn rsr~-,tion nay
ments for 1a22. with -.hirh the Ger
r,,,s are o,na aod." which s',c~ne's
that. as NJ Poincare has long held.
the supreme council might do well to
leave reparatjon nntters a'~,cst en-
tiraiy tn the commission. Which. in
turn. suggests that M Poincare
may not he the oRre sone say he
IL. tn which it inav he added that
NJ. poincare in office ia likely 10 he
different person FROM M. Poin-
care out OF ofFce. Perhans ell the
fat is not In the fire after alb
Ireland. On Saturday the 7th7
the dail eireann ratified the Lon
don agreement for establishment
OF an Irish free state in assOcia-
tion with the British common
wealth of nations by a vote of
sixty-four to fifty-seven.
On Monday De Valera resigned
as president of the Irish republic.