Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-04-27
FRANCEFORCED9,
TO BOW BEFORE
new ALLIANCE
Unable To Thrust Her VIII
Above That of 265,000
Other Europeans
BY HARRY N. RICKEY

weeks, Lloyd Georges alleged eco
nomic conference for restoration of
peace and industry in Europe still
lives. But that is about the best that
can be said of it.
The net result to date is treaty
between Germany and Russia-un-
der protest and in open defiance of
the allies.
Admittedly this treaty draws Ger
many and Russia closer together,
not only commercially but also po-
litically Potentially it is a threat
TO western Europe that 225,000,000
Germans and Slavs are out to domi-
nate the continent.
Assuming a generation of co-opera-
ton between the Germans and Rus
SLAMS, with the formers genius for
organization and the latters' man
power and natural wealth, western
Europe will face at least 300,000,0OC
organized and aggressive people.
France has visualized this from
the first and ever since the treaty
) was sprung has been making heroic
efforts to, circumvent it, threatening
several times to leave Genoa and
break up the conference.
France Near Isolation
But France has been unable to
change the course of events for the
simple reason that the rest of Eu-
rope is fed up, thoroughly on the
French policy.
France is nearer to isolation today
than at any time since the war. Even
England is showing less and less
sympathy and marked disinclina-
ton to sacrifice, for Frances sake,
her chance to get in with Germany
on Russia's ground floor"
England's growing impatience with
France eliminated when Lloyd
George said significantly that unless
attempts to break up the conference
were stopped he would make state
ment to the world putting the blame
where it belonged.
A break with the British is the one
thing the French cannot afford If
they hope to keep their position as
a first class power and collect repara-
tions from Germany. So they have
submitted to the inevitable and con-
sented not to press their demand that
the German-RusSian treaty be abro
gated.
This was a bitter pill for the
French, and they make no secret
of it.
Cooperation Necessary
At the same time everybody in
Europe, excepting possibly the
French, realizes that permanent
peace and restoration of normal in
dustrial and financial life is impos-
sibIe without the cooperation of the
Germans and Russians.
Together they comprise more than
half the population of the continent,
and much greater proportion of or
ganizing genius, industrial energy
and natural wealth.
While the arrogant position they
have taken here has amazed and
shocked Lloyd George as much as It
has anyone else, it has demonstrated
the necessity of keeping the confer
ence together to work out an all
European compact including nom
aggression agreement.
Otherwise the net result of Genoa's
conference would be increased mill
tarism and financial chaos growing
out of fear of the German-Russian
menace.
The Germans and Russians are
perfectly aware that they have run
diplomatic circles around the allies
and have them in corner.
They are now oenply playing the
game together. One day last week
Tchitcherin visited Wirth and Ra-
thenau three times at the Germans
hotel. Each time he was received
with almost royal honors.
Undoubtedly the Russians demand
that the Soviet government be fully
recognized by the powers of the So
Wet guarantees payment of pre-war
debts, was worked out by the Ger
mans and Russians together =
The logic of this demand is unas-
sailable, but it was shot aimed di-
recetly at the friendly relations be-
tween the British and French.
Poincares Dilemma
Most of this pre-war debt, amount
ing to $3,000,000, is owed to
French peasants, but the last thing
the present French conservative
government wants to do is to give full
recognition to the Soviet On the
other hand, the British have no in
terest in pre-war debts. Their big
interest is in opening trade relations
with Russia on as good terms as
Germany got.
Lloyd George would rather not
pay the price of full Soviet recogni-