The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-02-12

| peace and the reconstruction of 1 Europe.
 With England and France In their
 present temper 1t is difficult to see l how much can be accomplished with out the influential intervention of a power like the United States.
 France even now is threatening to wreck the conference, and may sue ceed in doing so if the United States holds aloof It was hoped by the | better clements in Germany that the United States might see in thel Genoa 1 conference a chance for wide world service, for. as I have said before. a
 European conference of the scope i planned for Genoa, with Germany and the Russian soviets attending, has a meaning for America as well as for the distracted countries and peoples of Europe.
 Europe Needs America
 Europe needs the common sense Cf America in her councils. The Wash ington conference was able to &C., complish much for the tranquility of affairs in the far east only because of the American influence.
 On the other hand. America needs
  for her excess goods.
 It was thought here that new or der in the far east would be the price of American cooperation in heallng Europes sufferings
 1t has been thought here that the gigantic problem of Russia might bring the United States to Cannes Russia which has so long been treated like a mere epidemic, with quarantine and disinfection. For | Russia Is one of the chief problems of the world economic situation. IL would make a vast difference in the land of the dollar If the markets or Asia were opened to the products Of American labor and your unemployed were back at work.
 Position of Germany It is impossible to say at this tim7 just what the position of Germany and Russia will be at the confer- ence with America absent. Who will lead the way at Genoa as America led the way with proud sef-sacrifice at Washington? Not France. for France can see only her own trou- | thinks that all of Europes future depends upon the satisfaction of Frances demands against Germany. | But as I have already pointed out | in these dispatches Frances recovery | Is not a preliminary condition tn Europe's restoration. but will be the consequence of that restoration. for 1 France is not economically the most | important country of a continent whose fate may be decided at Genoa. Great Britain, with the moral sup port of the United States behind her might go far at Genoa, for England knows the impossibility of Germany executing the French separations claims. But how far can England go while at logerheads with France? French Position France is taking the position that she will withhold participation iu the Genoa barley if 1t Is to discuss any of the real problems which con- front Europe today France says she will not discuss separations, when all the world-except France knows that the reparations demands must be factor in any attempt to readjust and reconstruct this conti- nent.
 France says the treaty of Yer sai1less with its mass of contradic- ton shall not be discussed But if Europe Is to go on under this treaty as it has the last two and a half years, why talk of reconstruction? France says that the Genoa con ference must not do anything that the League of Nations ought to do, and thus she all but close the door