The Washington herald., 1922-04-18
The German-Russian Treaty.


the part of other nations represented at the
Genoa conference. 1t will start rumors of great
alliance in Northeastern Europe.
France, in particular, will scent danger The
consummation of this agreement at unfor-
time in the progress of the conference. at
time when prospects of concrete results already
seemed cloudy.
From point Of view it might be considered
matter of routine. Germanys relations
with Russia, for some time past, have been more
friendly than those of other nations. Actual recog-
milton will mean practically change.
Russia and Germany are companions in mis-
fortune. Regardless of the many points which
they disagree they bound to drift toward each
other: Both have a common enemy in France and,
it sometimes seems. common friend in Great
Britain.
Great Britain is filed with idle factories Din
pals of her workers empty. Her people
bent under herculean taxation. Her far-flung
empire is insecure. The only remedy lies in
vived world trade. Russia, with its millions OF pur-
chasers and its inadequate manufacturing facilities.
offers of the most promising fields for this
revival
France lmps painfully from wounds inflicted
during the world Debt and reconstruction
problems harass her. She looks to the payment
OF German reparatons and to settlement of
NuSSldn ucDt dS cSSeHtldl rcrncQleS lot ner
ills But she lives under the constant fear of a
stored Germany-perhaps allied with restored
Russia. She cannot look without dire forebodng
at the prospect OF either of these nations on
cure footing. uneasy with dreams of revenge. Her
army she regards essential to her security, de,
- spite its tremendous cost, its tax in manpower
her industries and her farms, and the unfavorable
light in which its existence places her in tic eyes
OF her neghbors.
Italy, in common with Great Britain, needs
trade revival. A impetus of business in Rus
sia would start smoke again pouring from
her factory chimneys In addition, Italy has rea-
to fear her ncighbor, France, with her war
army nearly intact. 1t is well for France to
protest that she has intent at aggression-that
she keeps in barracks only as a protection
against Germany. Italy remembers we'll some
facts in regard to her neighbor which have been
obscured in the United States since 1914. She re-
members days when France was eager to tramp
weaker countries under the heels of her military
boots-and she is certain that the possession
OF large army might not tempt the tactics
again on rather slight pretext
- Russa's is rather obscure. Her delegates
at GeGoa have made many fantastic claims which
cloud the main issue. They themselves have no
idea these claims will be given consideration. They
realiz that before the conference is over they must
make great concessions. They sparrng for op-
spOrtunlty-Witnout any nXed pogram that
parent to the rest of the world
Russia is a vast reservoir of natural and human
resources If it be placed a prosperous
footing much Of the economic chaos of Europe will
be cleared away. There sacrifices too great
if they will accomplish this result. But this great
extent of European territory is governed in
accordance with false economic system by men
who have often announced that their attitude
toward the rest o the continent is not cooperative
but hostile In order to make any agreement which
might restore partial degree of prosperity in Rus
sia it is necessary to wiring concessions from the
Soviet government and at the time secure rea-
sonabe assurance that it will abide by any contract
IT makes. 1t is almost certain that the Russians at
. Geno1, after their stage maneuvers over, will
agree to many concessions in order to secure loans
and to obtain manufactured articles of which their
peop'e greatly in need Whether they will
abide their agreements is another question
Germany presents still another problem II
she honestly intends to pay her war debts she must
realize that she is mortgaged for more than one
generation to the allies-that her people are prac
tcaly vassals. If her exchange rate could be
raised it would help somewhat. If the amount of
her reparations debt could be lowered it would be
still more advantageous to her. Her delegates
have come to Genoa it seems with no fixed pro-
gram, but merely opportunsts. OF course Ger
many would form offensive alliance with Rus
sia if she could. OF course she would again attack
France. if she could. 1t would be contrary to all
dictates of human nature il she did not NOBODY
can expect the great body of the German people to
consider their present punishment just On the
other hand the German government never can stand
secure with French troops drawn up ready to oc-
cupy fresh territory.
There are so many conflicting interests at
Genoa that it is small wonder international ex
-perts such Sir Philip Gibbs and Frank H.
Simonds are pessimistie. The problems before Eu-
@ropesn Statesmen to solve far complicated
than those which faced the Washington conference