Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-01-20
CABINET MAY
TAKE ACTION ON
GENOA AFFAIR
Final Consideration of Pro
posal to Accept Bid
Scheduled.
POINTS UPPERMOST
Special to Indiana Daily Times
and Philadelphia Public Ledger
Rv ERTnERTN W.T. yTAE II

Special to Indiana Daily Times
and Philadelphia Public Ledger.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 90 - Today's
meeting of the Cabinet is expected to
give final consideration to the question
OF the Genoa conference. The conference
is scheduled to open six weeks hence. If
America Is to participate time for prep
aration is short. The secret of our i'm
pending decision is Theoretically kept.
But the best informed opinion in Wash
ington is that acceptance is conditional
mainly on two points:
l. Exclusion Of soviet Russia from
Genoa.
2. Achievement of definite results by
the Washington conference.
OTHER FACTORS
ENTER SITUATION.
A variety of other factors enters into
the United States Governments cOnsid-
Grafton of the Genoa invitation, but
those are the chief ones Opinion in
Washington has crystallized along the
line that the United States cannot con-
sistently sit in conference with soviet
j Russia at Genoa or anywhere else. How
ever hedged or restricted the presence at
the conference table Of Lenins delegation
would constitute, It is felt here, recogni-
ton Of the Red government Of Moscow.
1t might be called de facto or de jure
recognition or by some other name, but
1 recognition, in American estimation, it
would be. 1t could not be granted by
the United States without stultifcat ton of
the position laid down by the Wilson ad-
ministration and tenaciously maintained
by the Harding administration. In no
other domain Of foreign policy with the
exception Of league mandates, has the
attitude Of Secretary Hughes so identic-
all nO4~ cd ~r-4fh 4hn - Go
rotary Colby. Both put soviet Russia out
side the pale, as far as the United States
is concerned.
American statesmen see little virtue in
imposing conditions upon soviet Russia
FOR re-admission into the society of ma
lions. They say there would be
yawning gulf between soviet agreement TO
conditions and soviet fulfllment of them
The Red record for kept pledges is, IN
American estimation, utterly damning.
Nor is there allurement to our authOri-
ties in the prospect Of trade" with the
soviet Russia. Commercial intercourse
with a Russia ruled by Lenin continues
to be regarded by American economic
leaders as the last word in impracti-
cability. There is no ban upon it. but,
there is something more eloquent than
ban when the State Department is con-
suited on the subject The answer Is
that any American who wants to bargain
or barter with Red Russia must do so en-
tirely at his own risk.
LENIN SELLS
CHIEF IDEA.
When Lloyd George and the others at
Cannes who voted to summon the Genoa
conference decided there could be no
effective reconstruction Of European eco
Monies without inviting soviet Russia,
Lenin "sold" the idea he has long and
persistently peddled through Europe and
through the United States. That idea IS
that the Red regime now is so invincibly
established that there is no longer rhyme
or reason in trying to put the world
house in economic order without it. That
may be Moscows opinion 1t IS not the
opinion held In official Washington.
American statesmen have other Ideas
about the Cannes Genoa business They
see IN it one Of the shrewdest, farthest-
reaching PIECES Of Lloyd George world
diplomacy the master Of Downing street
has ever essayed. They discern in the
conference project an attempt to recover
for British craftsmanship the world
leadership which the Washington con
ference gave back to the United States.
Great Britain took the ball after the
armistice and kept it till last summer.
Then President Harding, with his call
TO the powers TO discuss on American soil
armament and Pacific questions, got the
ball for the United States. France would
rather America kept the ball than that it
should repass to Great Britain. Hence
NJ Princa res significant reservations
with regard to the Genoa conference.
which seem to align him with American
policy anent soviet Russia. Forty five
nations are invited to Genoa. AS host,
italy will be in nominal charge of pro
ceedings.
GREAT BRITAIN
MAY ORGANIZE.
As actual originator Of the conference
Great Britain probably would "organize'
it. Her prominence. in any event, un-
uuestionably would be conspicuous, and
possibly dominating. It would not be
easy for America to take the ball at
Genoa.
There is still another phase Of British
zeal in connection with the economic con
ference that diplomatists in Washington
are studying. Great Britains historic
policy since Peter the Great has been
based on fear Of Russia and the necessity
of keeping her, by hook or by crook,
weak. Thus, it is suggested Mr.. Lloyd
Georges purpose in promoting a policy
designed to effect the recognition Of SOW
let Russia may be to haven and foment
counter efforts within or without Russia
to destroy the Red regime. Hence, too,
AuS uLucuL DItCeeust Lue bTlLlSU- Ter
man scheme to exploit Russia Industrial
".
In Washington at the present moment
there is apparent evidence Of the tradi-
tional British policy Of maintaining
weakened Russia. The attitude Of com
plete detachment toward japanese .occu-
patton of Eastern Siberia, which British
conference spokesman consistently pro
claim, is interpreted as part and par
Gel Of fixed, tmperturbable British po-
litical strategy. A reconstructed Russia
shut of from the Pacific by Japan, suits
the British book as completely as a Rus
STA barred from ConstantinopIe and the
DardaneIles suits it.
TRADE RELATIONS
BRITAIN'S DESIRE.
If Mr.. Lloyd George had no other
motive than faithfulness to the policy
Of his political fathers for two hundred
years and more. there would therefore
be explanation of his pro-soviet inclina-
lions. But there are reasons that fit in
with his domestic political exigencies as
we'll Thanks primarily to astute pro
soviet propaGa nda there is an almost If
resistible cry both among British capital
and labor for trade relations" with Rus
STA. So in hallmarking Lenfn as fit
companion at Genoa for statesmen like
Hughes, BalfOur, Vivani or Schanzer, Mr..
Lloyd George Is not only indicating a
historic British political principle but