The New York herald., 1922-05-13
SATURDAY. MAY 1s. 1922.
The Dignity of Nations.

The dignity of nations is at stake
in the Genoa Conference. The dignity
of nations is in the marketplace OF
barter and sale at Genoa. The dignity
of nations is swaying on it's founda'
tion at Genoa under the influence of
commercial greed.
This is what is happening in the
Genoa Conference in respect of the
bargaining going on there with Rus
sia concerning the payment of her for
eign debts and the sacredness of for
eign owned properties in Russia.
There is point beyond which the
well ordered, substantial nations of
the world cannot go with dignity and
self-respect in their desire for con-
ciliation and the rehabilitation of
Europe. Discussing the question of
reciprocity with a nation to induce
that nation to pay its foreign debts
is this point. Discussing it with
Russia with her vast domain and
boundless natural resources is quite
any puny nation.
Russia was one of the allied nations
ranged against the Central Powers in
the war. A new government came
into power in Russia when the war
had been in progress for about three
years, and under this new govern
ment Russia repudiated her compact
with the other Allies, withdrew from
the contest, and left them to fight it
out alone with the great German
military forces. The mere change of
government cannot relieve people
of sacred compacts, of sacred respon-
sibilities, cannot relieve Russia.
The Russian people have not dis
charged their obligation to their part
ners in war and cannot discharge it.
1t is not humanity possible to make
good to France, England, Italy, Bel
gium and Japan Russia's failure to
stand by her compact. But it is
possible for the Russian people, no
matter what their government, to
pay their foreign debts in full,
given time, and to reimburse foreign
owners of property in Russia for
property confscated by Russia.
Anything short of so meeting these
obligations would be dearly bought
saving to a great nation, to great
people-a saving that Russia cannot
-
accept. This is where France makes
her stand in the Genoa Conference.
the principle for which she contends,
and in this contention France is
right.
IL Russia's stand, stripped of all
diplomatic tactics and diplomatic
verbiage, is that she will refuse to
pay her foreign obligations. in part
or in full, unless she gets reciprocity
guarantees, Russia is wrong. wholly
wrong: and the nations in conference
that listen to these proposals are
themselves wrong.
Russia, under her new govern
ment, not only withdrew her armies
from the allied forces, but cut apart
from other nations and renounced
the conventions and usages OF other
nations. and set up new usages and
new customs wholly foreign to the
systems OF organization and methods
the world has worked out in long
centuries as suited TO human en-
deavor and human existence.
The experiment has been dearly
paid for>by Russia in palsied indus
tries, ruined credits, the destruction
of commerce, the destruction of trans
portation, and in famine and death
measured in millions.
In this situation the other nations
of the Genoa Conference invited Rus.
STA in her serious straits, making out
side assistance imperative, to come
into the Conference to talk with them
and put before them the picture of
her situation. Their purpose was to
help Russia and to welcome her back
into the family OF nations--to do this
both in the interest of Russia and in
the interest OF world stability and in
ternational business relations. AS II
was Russia that broke her relations
with other nations, It would seem that
she OF all nations shouldn't permit
herself TO show a spirit of dictation to
the Conference. And this is what she
is doing when she ignores her foreign
obligations as just debts, denies the
sacredness of the principle involved
and makes the astounding statement
that she will do this or that or the
other in the way Of meeting these obli
cations in this or that or the other