The Washington times., 1922-08-20


many. much o. which would
pass back to Frar e, but who is
going to raise loans for Ger
many, today? A smash is almost
certain to come when the Ger
mans can no longer buy raw
materials for thefs manufactures,
or foodstuffs from other coun-
tries. When the crash arrives,
win the monarchists seize powerI
I doubt 1t. Hunger will be the
dominating factor. and we ere
much more likely to see in the
cities an upheaval Of the German
equivalent OF Bolshevism. Mean.
while Austria may disappear to-
morrow.
The German problem makes
the failure OF The Hague con-
ference relatively unimportant.
except In 90 far as It abruptly
terminates the peace pact I have
mentioned. The whole object Of
The Hague conference was to
make some sort OF terms with
the Boishevists in order that the
reconstruction Of Russia might
be begun on moderate and grad
ual lines; but the Bolshevist
delegates are as impossible a.
ever.
I have been to Holland myself to
see how the conference was get.
ting on. have nothing but praise
for the work Of the modest, but
highly competent. British delega-
tion. Most OF the business was
done at The Hague, but nearly all
the delegates from all countries
stayed at the breezy seaside resort
Of Scheveningen. three miles away,
because the hotels there had more
room. This was probably the only
conference since the armistice
which was conducted on quiet and
sensible lines. The delegations
were almost lost in the spacious
recesses Of the Palace Hotel.
There was no jazz dancing, no en-.
tertainments, no 'talarums and
excursions" The very typists
were 30 inconspicuous that one
was hardly aware Of their presence.
The Russians, the Germans. and a
few others were quartered in the
adjacent Hotel oranje. and were
equally unobtrusive. .-.
BOLSHEvISTS ARE DEFIANT.
Our principal delegates. Sir Philip
Lloyd-Graeme and Hilton Young,
took the lead. though the Belgian
and French representatives played
an important part. The confer
ence broke down, In my judgment,
because the Bolshevists wanted one
thing and the Allied and other dele
gates wanted something very diff
ferent. The Bolshevists gave very
little useful information, were de-
fiant about foreign private prop.
erty In Russia. and made II clear
that they really sought for credits
for the Moscow government. and
not for private reconstruction.
which was our object. I left feel
ing that the conference was prob
ably bound to fall. though I think
its end was perhaps hastened by
the belief OF the Bolshevists that
chaos is coming In Germany, which
they suppose will turn to their ad-
vantage, as It may.
= have always held that II s
useless to treat with the Bolshe-
visits. and my convictions on this
point are now stronger than
ever. II the German Communists
rise the Bolshevists may Join
hands with them, but their power
In Russia is waning outside Mos
COW. Lenin is a spent and par
alyzed force. Trotsky has become
clever mountebank, who plays
with soldiers. and whose thoughts
are like Napoleon-and.water. The
Red Army is q bogy, though it
may worry Poland and Rumania.
The Jewish Commissars no longer
dare to swagger through the
provinces. The dumb Russian
peasantry are making their press
ure felt. and the last thing the
Allies should do would be to
give the Moscow Government
credits. Soc.
The problem Of Europe is too
vast and complex to be solved
by nibbling at one of its corners
at The Hague. We seem to be
witnessing process far more
tremendous than the decline and
fall Of the Roman Empire. We
may be watching the end of a
great era. We may be standing
at the death-bed of a period OF
civilization which has lasted for
a thousand years. And we are
not mere spectators. Because
Europe. whose interests and ours
are interdependent. is fast fall
ing to pieces, and can no longer