Norwich bulletin., 1922-04-26

ist newspaper Iavoro, which is gener- ally well informed about Russian mat ters. the following propositions:
 The Russian soviet government Is ready to recognize financial obligations enterod into by its predecessors before August. 1914. towards foreign powers and their nationals. This concession al so Is extended to all those who became legal posSessors of said securities be" fore March. 1917. The provision, how ever does not apply to states which have territorial questions pending with Rus sia.
 The Russian soviet government also is ready to recognize financial engage ments entered into before August, 1914, | by all Russian authorities, provincial or local but does not recognize engage ments entered into by Russian authori- ties who at the conclusion of this agree ment are not under the control of the soviets.
 The Russian soviet government is ready to give foreigners the use of their properties. which have been nationalized or requisitoned. whenever possible ac- cording 10 concessions for participating in commercial companies or trusts for definite number of years and on foundations which would be determined specially for each.
 l The soviets also ask that arrears in in- terest as well as the interest on their | debts of any kind be annulled until the moratorium Is over. The Russian ex- perts further ask that the powers re- turn to the soviets all Russian proper | ties existing abroad. even jewels. de- posits in banks, ships, landed property, etc, as we'll as all financial obligations of their nationals towards Russia, per hitting necessary Investigations of their banks. The thirty years moratori- um would begin from the day of the signing of the present agreement.
 After reading the Russian proposals M. Cattier. one of the Belgian experts remarked: Tt Is curious that the so- viets. who refust to hand over properties belonging to our nationals in Russia should be the ones to insist upon the return of Russian private properties which we holdT !
 To this remark Christian Rakovsky premier of the Ukraine. immediately re- piled;
 Tt Is just because you have not na- tionalized your property that we ask fol restitution. If you also were to turT to communist we would not have any fur ther claim upon you"
 M Cattier. who though he saw flaw in M. Rakovsky's argument, retorted Suppose there was a Belgian bank Il which were deposited 100000 ruble by the czar and at branch of the sam Belgian bank at Moscow there were de posted 2,ooO, 900 Belgian francs. Do yol mean to tell me that you would clain restitution of the 100000 rubles an, refuse to give up the 100000 Belgian francsT'
 Precisely That's 1t" retorted Ra kovsky.
 Despite NJ Rakovsl1y's confident at
 titude in the meeting of the commis
 sion. he did not feel equal to attendin
 the meeting of newspaper men latel
 when it was reported he had contracte
 diplomatic illness" Some of the de
 egates attributed this to disagreemer
 between him and Foreign Mlniste
 Tchstcheriu, who stands by his not
 which has been accepted by the allie
 as a basis for discussion. Others sai
 jokingly that the soviets, after lunchin
 with King Victor Emmanuel last Sal
 urday, were showing leanings toward the bourgeoisie and wishedd to imitat
 classical diplomacy even down to th detail of diplomatic illness. Despite the new grave incident rent
 er"d more serious by Premier Poincare . address at Bar-Le-Duc, optisn continue to prevail among the majority of tt delegates, especially the Italians an English, who trust that Prime Ministt Lloyd George again wall be able to pate m matters in such way as to prevel the breaking up of the conference. was remarked today that the econom
 financial and transport commission woul
 finish their work this week after whic . only two great questions will be ef . Fuss,a and the non-aggression pact. : only it Is possible to agree on the ger , eral principle of the first question, lea, ing the details to the comGnission of e.
 perts. the work of the conference cou
 be considered successful, since no ser ous obH.ac.e to the non-aggression agre ment Is foreseen. provided there are ce tain reservations permitting Branch , occupy the. Ruhr district under certa' | conditions.