The Washington herald., 1922-01-30
America and Genoa -.

THE GENOA conference will be held whether
i America attends not. Dispatches from
abroad tell OF the arrangements that being made
by all the European countries send delegations
1t is announced that Premier Lloyd George the
chief author of the conference, wi "of course" go
through with it whether America participates or
not. Such being. the case. Americas decision to
participate not should be made on the basis of
whether the conference will accomplish more good
with America there with America absent.
The speech of Mr. Lloyd George delivered on
January 20 to the convention of Coalition
sincere and noble appeal not to Britain alone
but TO America and the world, to gather in spirit
OF reconciliation and cooperation at the Genoa
C,I.fe ence. That speech was directed very largely
to America. Abuse Of Mr.. Lloyd George BY such
10 not like him will not do in this case. This is
not personal matter Mr.. Lloyd George on that
occasion voiced the thoughts and hopes OF LIBERAL
iorward-looking people of the world. He made it
quite plain that this Genoa conference If entered
into in the right spirit by the participating nations
be great and valuable step toward the re-
habilitation OF Europe THE Washington confer
is establishing peace in the great West" he
said, "and | am looking forward to the Genoa con-
ference to establish peace in the East" By peace,
Mr.. Lloyd George does not mean merely cessa-
ton OF fighting; he means a situation combining
stability, reconciliation, confidence, just and friendly
economic intercourse-the elements of lasting peace
Mr.. Lloyd George does not expect Genoa to settle
all Europes ills; he said "the men who think they
cleanse Europe of its ills and straghten out the
European tangle in two or three years are either
ignorant OF real conditions they are misleading
their public" But he does expect Genoa to lay the
basis for cleansing Europe of its ills, if-if the
Genoa conference is held under favoring conditions
Will America benefit the world by staying
away from the Genoa conference? More nearly
than that will America benefit America by staying
away from Genoa? We know, now, that our own
prosperity is linked with Europe's If the Genoa
conference is failure, We know that will injure the
world and injure America. If the Genoa confer
is substantial success, we know that will aid
the world and aid America. In hestating whether
americas presence might be detriment to the con-
ference?
Is it not foolish to make conditions precedent
to participating? Is it anticipating the very
purpose of the conference to make conditions. Is
it not njurng the prospects of success of the con-
ference to start longrange informal publicty-nego-
tiatons before the conference gathers? II America
makes conditions OF participation and France makes
conditions of participation and. perhaps, other
tries follow suit, is the likelihood of practical
achievement by the conference lessened:
- Or" thing is perfectly certain there is no use
or sense in sending observer" to Genoa. Let us
not appear ridiculous before the world! II we
so obsesscd with the observer" mania, we should
do better send some erudte observer" with. Pro-
lessor Einstein and the Dutch scientists to the