River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1922-05-18
WrangIing and Politics Mark the
Doings of the Genoa
Conference.
RUsSIA's GREEDY DEMANDS
France Threatens independent Action
Against Germany and Lloyd George
Is Angry-centenary of General
Grants Birth Celebrated
Great Battle Impends
In China.
BY EDWARD w. PIcKARD


Russia may be forced to quit the
economic conference at Genoa. France,
which is becoming more and more dis
satisfied with the way things are go
ing there, may withdraw her delegates.
But it is announced that Lloyd George
and his British fellow delegates will
stick to the end, determined to get
some results from the conference.
With true Oriental vile, the Rus
slams are bargaining with the other
powers and last week succeeded In
bringing about a deadlock. To end
this condition the Representatives OF
the big and little ententes and Portu-
gal drew up what amounted to an
ultimatum, warning the soviet dele
gates that if they would not accept
the propositions made to them, the
Russian phase of the conference would
come to an end.
Briefly stated, here is what the Rus
slams proposed: First, the powers must
recognize the soviet government de
jure, and must grant it sufficient loans
to enable Russia to reorganize her
national life. Russia will recognize
her pre-war debts, but demands a thir-
ty years moratorium on these, with
cancellation of arrears of interest and
of interest during the moratorium.
Russia abandons her claims against
the powers due to the anti-Bolshevik
campaigns and In return expects that
her war debts to other powers will be
written down" 100 per cent. Russia
refuses to restore confiscated property
because this is contrary to their policy
of naturalization, but claims Russians
have the right to possess property In
foreign countries which are under
bourgeoise regime. In short, Russia
would take all and give nothing.
Though the British declared some
sort of a settlement with the Russians
must be made, M. Barthou, chairman
of the committee handling the matter,
abruptly called halt to further dis
cussion of the Russian debt. The
French, backed by their government,
were absolutely opposed to recogniz-
ing the soviet government and to
granting it credits, and, according to
dispatches from Paris, Japan would
support them in this stand. and prob
ably also Belgium, Hungary, Poland,
Serbia, Rumania and Czechoslovakia.
This only increased the widening
breach between France and Great
Britain, and each predicted that the
policy of the other would lead TO an
other war. They agreed that this
would result from a combining of Rus
STA and Germany. The German dele
gates had accepted the command to
keep out of the discussion of Russian
affairs because of their separate
treaty with Moscow, but this was not
enough. The Russian delegates were
enraged by the fact that Poland joined
in this disciplinary measure and in the
note signed by eleven of the powers
reserving the right to declare null and
void any clauses of the Rapallo pact
held to be in violation Of the treaty of
Versailles or any other treaty. In
note to the Poles, the Russians de-
clared that the soviet government
could In no case permit treaties made
by it ito depend for their legality on
the action OF powers not signatory."
Considering that Russia has powerful
forces massed on the Polish frontier,
the language of the note was taken TO
carry a distinct threat OF hostiltties
against Poland, as well as warning
to all the powers.
MEANWHILE Premier Poincare,