The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-05-16
By DAVID LAWRENCE.

BY DAA I'D La W RENEE.
Special Despatch TO The Reformer)
Copyright 1922.
WASHINGTON, May 16.-Unless
ONE phase of the situation not now APP
parent changes the whole face of things,
he United States will decline the invi-
tation of the powers at Genoa to par
| ticipate in a conference at The Hague
| discuss the Russian problem.
| Ambassador Child's cablegram con
| irming press dispatches arrived in time
| % be tlle subjecf of Informal conferences
yesterday among members of the adj
ministration and congress. The pre-
| vailing opinion is not only that America
| ikould not accept but that America will
not
Lloyd George is in a hole and is try
! ing to drag the United States in with
him-and about all Europe wants Is our
money said an influential member of
| the administration yesterday. whose
! opinion will count for a great deal be-
! fore a decision on American policy Is
| finally made.
Entirely apart from the motives. how
| ever. which have prompted the request
/ for American participation, the view Is
emphasized here that any conference
I SUCH Us DfoihlSGu Nbulu De ii IdlluEe uit-
! less Russia herself shows disposition
| to change her attitude The notes of
/ the Soviet government at Genoa together
| with recent pronouneementS from Mos
| COW have not been looked upon here as
aifording a sufficient basis for dealing
| with the Soviets.~
In Touch with American View.
France has played a skillfuI game. She
| has known that in the matter of recog-
nized Russia, the United States was as
much if not more hostile to the views of
| the Soviet as any country in Europe.
| France has hitherto been accused of dis
rupting European concord and standing
/ in the way of economic reconstruction.
| firing of that cry and anticipating an
| other food of criticism for her stubborn
refusal to concede to the Russian view
| point. the French diplomatists have in
| sisted that they would do whatever the
! United States thought best. The APP
peal to America to participate in Rus
| sian conference is as much based upon
| French hopes of aligning herself with
| america on the Russian question as it
] is on Lloyd Georges desire to take the
| Genoa conference out of its present hope
! less atmosphere and try anew at The
| Hague. with the powerful voice of
! America at the council table.
! No Enthusiasm Shown.
In Washington the cablegrams from
| dbtOdu uISlHS LAlHtTlCd ~
are received with no enthusiasm. The
American government had hoped it
| could steer clear of European confer
cnces and is frankly embarrassed again
| by the persistence of the powers who
! want America to Join with them 1t is
| known that President Harding felt
| that the invitation to the Genoa confer
cnce itself was one of the most delicate
situations of his whole administration
He does not want Europe to think
America will deny economic help but at
! the same. time he felt convinced that the
! Genoa conference would be political in
nature and until Europe was politically
stable America would not be in a posi-
| ton to assist in economic problems.
The European governments have also
! anticlpated this time one objection that
! Mr. Harding might make-namely. that
/ the United States would be committed
| by the decisions of the conference on
| Russia. The invitation specifically stip-
/ ulates that America would not be bound
that her advice alone is sought. On that
| point the prevailing opinion of the Off
| Gals here is that the United States has
offered all the advice of which she is
capable and that until the general prin-
| ciples laid down by Secretaries Hughes
| and Hoover in recent statements are
| needed there is no use trying to have any
! further conferences.
Would Be One-Sided.
| IL the Russians are to be excluded
! and the conference is merely to be a
resided affair in which an attempt is
made to reconcile the conflicting views of
/ Great Britain. France Belgium. Italy
and the United States on what the pol
| icy should be toward Russia, the opin-
/ ion is expressed here that the American
| notes on the subject are already a basis
and that until the Russians themselves
are willing to accept those principles no