The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-04-05
Political Gamble Will
Affect All Europe,
Says Simonds.
ESSAYS BIG ROLE
Russian Recognition, Elk.
change and Preparations
Involved in Conclave.
By FRANK H. sIMONDs.

IN the oficial view of the Genoa
conference. Utterances of Lloyd
George have at last succeeded IN
establishing the belief that there Is
TO be a conference. And yet what
can be more striking than the fact
that on all sides in Britain and
France, even from the Italians here
and in Paris we hear the same tes-
timony. that out of Genoa nothing
useful can comet
So far as one may now see, Genoa
Is to be the final political gamble of
Lloyd George. He is going to the
italian city as Wilson came to Paris.
At home his political foundations
are visibly crumbling. His popu-
larity and prestige at last are
yielding to that erosion which more
quickly destroyed Clemehceau and
Wilson as political powers. II he is
to survive he must have some shin
Ing triumph.
Now Genoa supplies the opportu-
nifty What miracle of skill and
adroitness he will undertake, no
one can forecast No man. perhaps.
in our own time. or more exactly no
European. has held quite the power
which remains in the hands of the
great welshman. but it Is a power
which Is slipping.
Has No Organization.
What must he seek to do so as
as to emerge from Genoa having at
least on the surface and for the
moment brought about the reorgan-
ization of Europe? His role is that
of an arbitrator who seeks to bring
Germany and Russia back into the
circle of nations. He will under
take to promote treaties guaran-
teeing the frontiers as between
border countries. treaties like the
four-power treaty done in the
Washington conference.
u he is opposed by France-and
the whole Genoa conference turns
upon AngIo-French relations-then
there may be a dramatic moment
In point of fact there is in Paris
not little apprehension lest the
real Georgian policy Of Genoa may
be aimed at France with the design
10 establish the moral isolation of
France and then seek to bring
France to the British view of all
European questions But it Is not
as a battle between Lloyd George
Poincare-and the latter probably
won't attend in person-that Genoa
promises TO challenge interest Ac-
tuaIIy the fortunes of Lloyd George
supply the plot of the play. He is
the last of the big figures of great
period to remain on the stage. He
has outlasted both Wilson and Glenn
enceau by a relatively long time.
He has been the absolute master OF
, Britain for more than five years and
nneasurably the master of Europe
since President Wilson went home.
Ne has broken down the whole par
" system in the British Parliament
as he passed from left to right. He
has many hangers-on, but in the
broader sense no real followers, no
party. no organization.
Must Face General Election
Under these conditions he goes to
Genoa Out of Genoa he must get
something which will permit him
% return and address his British cleo
lorate. Every one agrees that there
must be a general election before
the summer is out. But Lloyd George
has no party. has tried and failed
10 far to create a center party COM
posed Of conservative Liberals and
liberal Conservatives. In recent days
bis efforts have produced a real up
heaval Of the Tory party and des-
pite all he has said and done there
nas been unmistakable evidence that
he Tory party believes rather in its
party than in Lloyd George. that II
will not even follow its own leaders
blindly in further support of Lloyd
George.
Accordingly you have this amazing
Iituation Europe is in crisis. all the
.rea. problems which followed the
var await settlement, every country
sas its own peculiar problems, yet
.very country also shares in the
misery and menace due to delay in
reconstruction. Preparations. ex-
thange. Russian recognition. all these
problems still remain on the agenda.
civilization is striving to regain con-
rol of things, yet at the moment all
he attention of Europe is fixed upon
he Genoa conference. not as a
Promise of a beginning. however
modest. but as stupe ndous gamble
II the greatest politician of his own
fne. Truly there is somethingNapo-
eanie in this but il is difficult to
zee any promise of reconstruction for
Lloyd George is. after all, like
elemenceau and Wilson. neither an
administrator nor a political eco
iomist- He does not have visions,
Ike those of the former American
President. he is not an idealist in
my sense. But what he does have
an amazing instinct to do what
he people desire, what the public
Expects. He can tell where public
pinion Is going and be there when
{ arrives. but he is always there
Eith words. for 1t is words he deals
o.
Associates Fall by Way.
Now for three blessed years
Georgian methods have been tested.
Ee have had conference after con-
erence, beginning at Paris, trailing.
III through Spa, Hythe. Brussels,
annes. Boulougne, Paris and heaven
,zows where not. Each has been
nhered in with great promises, ac-
pmpanied greatly by publicity and
etched battles between various ma
ional and international interests.
each Of them. with monotonous
egularity, Lloyd George has emerged
be victor. Along the roadside all his
ssociates have fallen. Clemenceau,
.eygues. BRAND in France: Orlando,
Titti. Giolitti. Bonomi In Italy.
lloyd George has won them all to
hs side. bent their wills to his. but
he bending has been for them fatal.
or their countries have rejected
hem. But in the midst of all these
ersonal triumphs. Europe Is MUIR
iuring. Britain perhaps as much as
rance, what has the end of 1t all
cen?
To-day. in a degree at least, we
re where We stood at Paris three
ears ago. The problem of German
eparations has just received one
iore fctional adjustment in the
operations commission. meeting