Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-04-25
CONFERENCE NEARS BREAKING
POINT AS SOVIET SHIFTS FRONT
ON DEBTS and RESTITUTION
Poincare lnsistent That Frances Program Shall be Adj
hered to; Threatens to Break From ParIey II Uti-
maum is Not Sent to Russ Delegates; Premier's
Speech Yesterday Causes Great CONSERVATION atGenoa.

i'y AFSoclete Press 70 Every kVening.
London April 25. There IS reliable
information. declares Central News
despatch from Genoa that NJ. Barthou.
Of the French delegatiou. received
telegrsphlc instructions today tn in
sist at the conference upon the terms
contained in Premier Polncare's
speech Of Monday
The French delegation. says ths
message, has declared It viii press for
a 48-hour uliimatuTn to Russia or else
break from the conference altogether.
Premier Poincare's speech created
great consternation in conferences
circles. n is added.
Genoa. April. 2J-Tho Geroa Con-
ference Is drifting toward ths rocks
again Whether Il can he kept from
crashing depends upon the possibility
Of adjusting the new demands OF tho
Russian Soviet delegates with the 20
sition Of the allied governments. who
declare they viii steadfastly stand bv
the resolutions adopted at Cannes. on
which the conference Is founded.
The situation is made more critical
( by the French premier's frank warn
/ ing IN his address at Bar-ie Due yes-
terday that France viii withdraw
from the conferences II she IS unable
/ to see that the ideas expressed by the
! French cabinet before parliament can
triumph.
! These French desires include main
! tcnauce of the war reparattons figures.
disbarment Of all disarmament dis
cussion and no changing Of existing
] treaties at Genoa. In addition France
| insists on rigid adherence to the Can
nes resolutions. which call for the
payment Of Russia's pre-war debfe
and the restitution by the Soviet OF
I foreigners. property IN Russia
! The conference OF experts on thu
Russian question broke up yesterday
and adjourned sine die because the
experts representing the powers found
/ the Russians new set Of proposals alb
solutely In contradiction with the
Soviet note accepting the allies terrns
as a basis for future deliberations.
Yesterday the BoIsheviki announced
their dcclination 20 restore private
property because everything was na-
Ftionaiized IN Russia. but in their note
OF acceptance they had voiced willing
ness 70 restore such property or in
emnify the owners provided the coun-
try's war debts to the Allies were cut
down and financial help for Russia
forthcoming
Instead OF accepting the Allies de-
mands for the payment Of war debts.
with the understanding that these
debts be scaled down and the arrears
in interest either postponed or re-
mitted in part the Bolshevid came in
with an entirely different proposition.
They asked the complete annulment OF
all war debts.
i Whereas they had previously agreed
70 the payment of the financial obn-
cations due to foreign nationals which
are usually referred 10 as the pre- war
debts. the Soviet spokesnlen asked for
a moratorium OF 80 years on these
debts and the cancellation Of the inter-
est, according to the Allied version of
debts and the cancellation OF the inter-
ply both to the past and 10 the period
Of the moratorium.
Finally. the Russians made clear
that. in refusing 10 restore private
property in Russia, this would not
imply any surrender by Russian citi-
izens OF their rights to hold property in
fee simple in foreign lands, ''bour-
geoisie countries" where the right to
possess property went with the bour-
geoisie system.
Such. said the Bolsheviki. were their
terms. but they could only grant them
on condition that the powers repre-
sented at Genoa would first agree 10
recognize the Russian Soviet govern
ment and accord it adequate financial
help for its proper economic recon-
struction.
Under these conditions" said sir
Laming Worthington- Evans. chair
man OF the meeting. we cannot dis
cuss any further. We must refer this
matter TO our respective governments. .
II was then decided TO adjourn the Sit
tings sine die. All the experts with
the exception Of the Russians arrang-
ed 70 meet this morning and go over
the entire situation