The Washington herald., 1922-04-09
T chi tcherin Thro ws
BOmbshell Into Genoa
Preliminaries.
MAY SPLIT EUROPE
INTO TWO FACTIONS
Unqualified Demand Con-
fiicts With Lloyd
George Pledge.


sailles, George Tchitcher:n. in an
interview, announced unqualified op-
position to the allied program.
Tchitcherin, head of the Russian
delegation to Geona. declared that
the Bolshevik government must be
recognized. fully and unconditional
ly. before she would conclude any
international transactions such as
those of the program of the con-
ference.
This may be prejudicial to the
conference" the Russian spokes-
nan said, but I must announce to
you that the very conter of our
program is unqualified recognition
of our government"
Defiance StIrs Conferecs.
This note of defiance, sounded with
the opening of the conclave less
than forty weight hours away, broke
in ON an optimistic buzz OF excite
ment with which 900 delegates from
more than twenty nations were pre-
pairing for Mondays opening ses-
sion. The old world port city was
swarming with representatives of
the East and West. the old world
and the new: along the narrow
streets prominent statesmen from
all corners of Europe rubbed ell
bows with delegates from the Orient
and the Near East.
Lloyd George arrived today at
the head of the British delegation,
after an eleventh hour conference
with Premier Poincare in France.
In which he agreed to the very
conditions of the conference which
Tchitcherin has defied.
Recognition of Russia. Lloyd
George declared, is to be the cruX
of the economic conference. Ts win
the support of France fo- the Genoa
parley, he had agreed he said. that
the recognition should be condition
al upon the Soviet fulfilling certain
conditions laid down by the allies.
He allowed it to he understood that
the conference might make certain
commercial agreements with Rus
sia which would not involve i'm
mediate recognition.
Throws Down Gage Of Battle.
Now the spokesman of the Rus
sian delegation has broken the cir
cumspect silence with which the
Soviet emissaries surrounded them
selves at the little watering place.
Rapallo. on the italian Riviera,
where the Bolsheviks. for their own
protection have been sent, and has
thrown down the gage of battle.
IF the conference is a condition
Of Russian recognition. instead of
Russian recognition being a con-
dition of the conference, the Boil
shevik leader said. then We have
been misinformed. We cannot
agree to that"
The French have brought on this
threatened impasse.
Frances delegation does not ar
rive until tomorrow, but already
the concessions reported to have
heen made to Poincare by Lloyd
George have thrown a damper on
the conference.
May Shntter Hopes.
The question raised by Tchitch-
erin's interview tonight will be
settled at a meeting Of the su-
preme council tomorrow at the
Palazzo Durazzo. when it will con-
slider the position of the Russian
delegation. Should the council de-
eide Russia already has complied
with conditions laid down by the
resolution of the allied supreme
council at Cannes. the conference
will open relations with the Boil
sheviki. if Tchitcherin will agree.
Should the allied representatives at
tomorrow's meeting be unable to
agree among themselves, delegates
declare the conference is condemned
to an almost certain split, with
the Western European allies on the
one side and Germany, Russia, the
Baltic States and the Petite En-
'tente" (Serbia, Rumania, Poland.
Czecho- -Slovakia) on the other.
Italy made proposal that states
participating in the congress should
Immediately negotiate commercial
agreements with Russia similar to
those now in effect in Italy and
Germany"
1t was hoped that something
might be worked out with this for
basis which would permit the
Russians to see the conference
through.
Police by Thousands.
Italian preparations for the com
ference have won approval of the
visitors. Genoa tonight was the
most policed city in the world
Thousands of royal guards were
stationed through the streets and
patrol!ed every foot of the citv
Genoa is an old world town vbirh
provides a hundred hiding places
in every crooked alley for intrr-
national criminals that come In
ships from every port, but tonipht
the city has been cleared of ali
suspicious characters.
The excellent manner in which
the Russian delegation was cared
for and guarded on it's yay 10
Rapa 10, where hundreds of rnarss
are stationed near the hotel where
the Bolsheviki are housed, and the
good manners of the Soviet ennis
saries ana secretaries. who recipro-
Gated In every way the courtesies
extended them, created a feelinv Of
optimism here today.
Old Diplomacy Apparent
In preliminary conference at 81
Georges palace. the SaO-year-old
building where plenary sessions
will be held beginning Monday. II
has become apparent that the old
diplomacy. Of which the wake twas
Continued On Page Four.