The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1922-05-18

ference with demands that could not
be accepted. They were particularly
distasteful to France and Belgium and
the offensive and defensive alliance
formed between these two countries
has made it possible to block what
they have considered the unreason-
able demands made by the Lenine
representatives.
Before the converting. of the Genoa
conference the United States gov
eminent was urgently invited to par
ticipate in it's elaboration. Secretary
of State Hughes after confdring with
President Harding, declined TO accept
the invitation, basing this country's
refusal on the theory that the gath
ering was strictly political, and as
such, no lasting good could come out
of it's deliberations.
The utter collapse of the conference
has been averted time after time by
the tenacity and cleverness of Brit
aims premier, Lloyd George.
The next move will be made at The
Hague in June and a pathetic appeal
has been sent to the United States
to participate in these deliberations.
Tuesday Secretary of State Hughes
again declined to embroil this govern
ment in the stencil of European poll
tics in the following characteristic
Hughes statement:
1.-The Secretary Of State has direct
ed Ambassador Child to deliver the
following reply for the American gov
eminent:
This government has carefully con-
sidered the invitation extended to it
by the president of the Genoa confer
ence under the conditions set forth
in the agreement Of the inviting gov
ernments to join the proposed commits
sion to meet at The Hague on June Is.
This government is most desirious to
aid in every practicable way the con-
sideration Of the economic exigencies
in Russia and wishes again to express
the deep friendship felt by the peo-
pie of the United States for the peo-
pie Of Russia and their keen interest
in all proceedings looking to the re-
covery of their economic life and the
return of the prosperity to which their
capacities and resources entitle them.
Inc american people nave given the
most tangible evidence of their unset
fish interest in the economic resupera-
ton Of Russia and this government
would be most reluctant to abstain
from any opportunity Of helpfulness.
This government, however, is un-
able to conclude that it can helpfully
participate in the meeting at The
Hague, as this would appear to be a
continuance under different nomen-
clature of the Genoa conference and
destined to encounter the same diff
culties if the attitude disclosed in the
Russian memorandum Of May II re-
mains unchanged.
1.-The unacceptable and ultimate ques-
ton would appear to be the restora-
ton Of productivity in Russia the cs-
sential conditions of which are still to
be secured and must in the nature of
things be provided within Russia her
self.
while this government has believed
that these conditions are reasonably
clear it has always been ready to join
with the governments extending the
present invitation in arranging for an
inquiry by experts into the economic
situation in Russia and the necessary
remedies.
"Such an inquiry would appropriate
ly deal with the economic prerequisites
of that restoration of production in
Russia without which there would ap~