Evening star., 1922-01-19
j. S. COULD DODGE
GENOA CONFERENCE
Would Make Poincare See
France Cannot Pursue Sin.
gIe-Handed Policy.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

The United States government has one
move left which may make 1t unneces-
sary to attend the Genoa conference
ministry in France see that ultimately
1t cannot pursue a single-handed policy
in handling German reparations.
This move Is the appointment by Pres
ident Harding. subject to the confirma-
tion of the Senate. of an American rep
resentative or the reparations commits
sion.
Step Declared Inevitable.
The prediction was made IN official
quarters today that the step was in
evitable as consequence Of the new
declaration by Premier Poincare that
France will not go to the Genoa con-
ference unless it is agreed beforehand
that German reparations will not be
discussed. Coming on top Of the state
ment by Poincare that he thinks the
allied supreme council no longer neces-
sary. and that he would insist upon a
literal return to the provisions Of the
Versailles treaty, the belief prevails that
the French premier will reinvest the
reparations commission with the moral
influence and importance which 1t lost
when the supreme council took the mat.
ter Of reparations out OF the hands of
the commission, a move which many
French and British critics have ever
since characterized as Illegal in the
sense that is violated the Versailles
treaty
The truth is. the supreme council
was waiting for America to ratify
the Versailles treaty and hesitated to
see the reparations commission have
too much power. On the other hand,
the United States now has ratified
| its own treaty with Germany, which
ton clauses of the Versailles treaty
and entities America to seat on
the reparations commission. The
Senate adopted reservation reQuir-
ing the President to obtain the con-
| firmation of the Senate for any ap-
pointment to international commits
stons provided for under the German
| treaty.
No Objection Seen.
But in view OF the turn of events
it is not expected that the Senate
would object to the sending of q full
! fedged representative to speak for
| America at the reparations commits
| sion meetings to take the place Of
the .unofficial observers who have
| heretofore attended.
I; The reparations commission con-
sists Of representatives of the United
States, Great Britain, France. Japan,
Italy and Belgium. Unanimous vot-
ing is not necessary. This means
that an alignment Of Great Britain,
| the United States, Italy and Japan
would dominate the decisions-of the
reparations commission and leave the
| Poincare ministry not q bit better of
with respect to German repafation
payments than was the BRAND min
{. fstry. In fact, NJ. BRAND made the
point as he retired that return to
| bly, mean that France would be out
voted on the reparations commission
anyway.
The impression prevails here that
Great Britain. Italy and the United
states would stand together on rep
/, arations matters and that Japan is
more likely to go along with this
group. than with the Franco Belgian
Viewpoint. There has. however, late
" been a disquieting tendency on the
part Of France to help Japan at the
Washington conference. which may or
may not mean that there is an under
standing afoot to obtain Japanese
support Of the French position on rep
Eager to Restere Relations.
On the other hand. the japanese are
anxious for the ressmption of prof
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