Great Falls tribune., 1922-04-22
AT GENOA

THE brilliant premier Of Great
! Britain, Lloyd George, seems to
be the whole show at Genoa. He
made the newspaper men Of the
world assembled there gasp when he
went before them and told them
that he was ready to answer any
question they asked him. The
German newspaper men took him
at his word and asked him some
searching questions about what he
thought about the new treaty ne
gotiated by Germany and Russia.
The British statesman did not
dodge or refuse to answer the ques-
tion, and told the questioner that
he thought the question unwise be-
cause if the answered it as he would
do it might have tendency to stir
up strife and antagonism which he
was anxious to avoid for the sue
cess Of the conference. The ques-
tions were then withdrawn. Then
he told the newspaper men that he
was confident and optimistic over
the outcome of the conference at
Genoa, and believed that great
things would be accomplished
there. He foreeasted a peace
agreement under the terms Of
which all the nations represented
at the conference would agree not
to invade the territory of their
neighbors for term Of years, and
that this agreement would be
turned over to the League Of Ma
tions as trustee for its enforcement.
There are lions in the path of such
a peace agreement. Rumania is
now in possession Of the province
Of Bessarabia, which is claimed by
Russia. This province was once a
part Of the Turkish empire, as was
Rumania itself for hundreds Of
years. When Rumania achieved
its independence as a result Of the
Turkish Russian war of 1878, in
which they aided the Russians, they
expected to annex Bessarabia,
which was peopled by population
akin to their own, but the Russian
czar of that time had other ideas
and he not only annexed Bessarabia
to Russia, but he made the Ruman-
ians rectify the frontiers in his
favor by ceding strip of their own
territority to round out the
borders of his new province to suit
his ideas. To compensate Rumania
he made them a present of a strip
of land along the Black sea wrested
from Bulgaria and a perpetual
feud with Bulgaria in consequence,
which has cost both countries dear.
When the present world war was
over the Run1anians promptly oc-
cupied the ancient province Of
Bessarabia as belonging to them.
The soviet government was busy
elsewhere, but they protested and
their intention to taking
it back as soon as they had at
tended to other enemies. The Rus
sian delegates at Genoa have called
the attention Of the conference to
the fact that Runania is occupying
a portion of their soil unlawfully
and that Japan is doing the same
thing in the far east, and have de-
as a condition precedent
to their joining in a peace agree
ment that these invading troops in
their territory be withdrawn. There
is also, we believe, some conten-
ton on the part of the new Arab
kingdom set up by the Versailles
treaty and prior allied agreements
that French troops in Syria are
occupying a part Of their territory,
and that British troops in Meso-
potamia and Palestine are also in
fringing on their territory.
It will be seen that there are a i
good many obstacles to a peace
agreement at Genoa at this time,
but if Lloyd George can put it over
he will greatly add to his fame.
Time and again he has surprised
his enemies and the world with his
powers in solving problems that
we're deemed insoluble. Some
times, however, his compromises
Fail. His latest achievement in
negotiating peace in Ireland is not
coming on very well. From the
cable reports we would say that
here was no peace in Ireland any
where and no security for life and
property. In the south two fac
lions are at each Others throat.
Ambushss. sssassinations and rob-