Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-05-09
y lLItil'I
The Genoa Conference.

~ 49, .
has. been in, session at Genoa during
the past month is that there is very
little probability of any kind of agree
ment, mainly because each Of the par
ticipants is bent on the furtherance OF
selfish interests, which interests arc
generally in conflict with the interests
of the others.
One naturally likes to takes sides in
every controversy, especially if he can
convince himself as to which Is the
right side; but disinteresteds outsiders
who have followed this conference as
well as they have been able from such
information as has been available, are
finding it, rather difficult to- work up
any great amount of enthusiasm on &C
count of any Of the participants.
1t is clear enough to everybody that
the main idea of the conference is to
restore Russia as nearly as possible to
the political and economic relation she
formerly held in connection with the
rest of the world, and while that might
seem easy enough on it's face, the diff
fculties that have arisen and are aris-
ing seem to be all but insurmountable
because each and every particiant
wants to be assured Of the best Of the
| deal. - Pcy"E - y
In consideration of certain conces-
sions required by Capitalism" with
reference to the restoration Of the pri-
vate ownership Of property heretofore
held by foreigners, and promise to
.pay the debts incurred by the former
Russian government, etc., Russia wants
loan of several billion dollars, not in
foreign credits; but in the real stuf,
gold. But even with that Russia has
not yet consented to restore the iden-
tical property Of foreigners. The best
she has intimated is Willingness TO
give the equivalent of this property in
other forms, or perhaps to restore con-
troll of it in the form of long time
leases.
Great Britain appears to be pretty
nearly at an agreement with Russia in
the matter; but Belgium is insisting
on the unconditional return Of the
property Of foreigners, and France is
taking. the position that she must stand
by Belgium. 1t has gone out that Ger
tain Oil interests heretofore held by the
Belgians are about to be transferred
to Britishers, and here is one serious
hitch. But France has other grounds
for doubts. 1t is understood that Ger
marty and Russia have already agreed
upon a treaty that is satisfactory to
both, and France is concerned as to
how much advantage that treaty might
eventually be to Germany. Then
France has an alliance with Poland,
and she is concerned about the integ-
rity Of the boundaries of Poland with
Germany on one side and with Russia
on the other. 1t is 1linted that it was
France that told Belgium to object so
she could be in the seemingly unselfish
position Of standing by Belgium.
Then underlying it ALL, there is an
other very serious bugaboo.. 1t is rec
ognized throughout the world that Ger
many can never meet the terms of the
reparations demands, and regardless
Of what has been held to. have been
tacit understanding to the contrary,
Lloyd George is seeking to revise the
reparations demands TO the limits of
reason. He has even gone so far as to
offer TO release France from her in
debtedness to Great Britain If France
would consent to more reasonable
terms for the Germans: But if there
is any one thing that pleases France
more than another, it is. the impossi-
bility of Germany being able to meet
the reparations demands, and she is not
willing to give up anything in this
connection.
The time by which Germany must
meet the conditions Of the last agrea-
ment as to reparations expires on May
81, and knowing that Germany cannot
come across, France refuses to engage
in any further discussion in the mean
time. She insists on waiting until
Germany has defaulted as she knows
that Germany must and then she eX-
poets to advance further into German
territory with the intention of collect
ing her debts by force.
There have been intimations by
Lloyd George that if France moves
against Germany, Great Britain will
also take a hand, and the indications
are that Russia will also come into the
game on the side of Germany.
y While hope has not yet been aban-
doned there seems to be a growing
feeling that unless the conference
WI feh now seems to be on the eve of
breaking up, results in some kind of an
agreement, that will fix the status of
Russia and tighten the burden of Ger |
many, war will break out again before |
the summer is far advanced, and the |
this time will be very diff |
ferent from what it was before in that
Great Britain, Germany and Russia .
will be aligned against France, Poland,
Czecho- -Slovakia and other powers.
1t is possible that the situation may
be worked out without more war; but