The New York herald., 1922-05-17
DOUBTS IF HAGUE
IDEA MATERIALIZES
Daily Telegraph Pessimistic
as to Its Being Held.

Special Gable To THE NEW YORK HERALD.
Copyright, 1922. 5y THE New York HERALD,
New York Herald Bureau,
London. May II "wednesday.
London newspapers in their comment
this morning And little to complain Of
in the American refusal to attend the
Hague conference. The Telegraph says
that Whether that afterpiece to the
Genoa conference will be enacted except
in very truncated and unimpressive
form seems doubtful. The new confer
ence would really be important il the
United States took a leading part, for
no sound economic restoration of Eu-
rope is feasible without the active par
ticipation and close interest of America.
What the state Secretary says Of
his fellow citizens applies to vast num-
ber of Brltons. While the United States
stands aloof from The Hague there is
little enthusiasm for IL among the sew
eral other countries. If Rus
sia is teachabe at all, the Hughes note
may have some effect on them since
il will bring home to them that help
for Russia won't come from America
now"
The Westminster Gasette also be-
lieves Americas reasons to be per
fectly Ineligible" While il says that It
regrets Americas declination, 1t adds
that many people on this side of the
Atlantic are inclined to exaggerate the
intrinsic Importance of American partic-
ipation in the settlement of Europe. 1t
is not and-never was either necessary or
practicable that America should con-
time to play the leading part in the
politics of Europe. We cannot blame
America and it is not certain but what
in the long run her abstention may not
turn out to have been the wisest policy
from our own viewpoint as well as
hers"
Last nights Euening Star said This
morning we got another disaster. 1t
Is officially announced that the United
States has declined to participate in the
Hague meeting. The coach is really
going down hill on three wheels now.
We doubt whether the Hague meeting
can function without two weels,
America and Germany.
I'VE cannot complain that the United
States. having made huge profits in
Europe in the European war and having
rendered all Europe its debtor before 1t
came in on the side of the Allies, should
now desire to restrict it's activities on
this side of the Atlantic to the collection
of interest on those debts. But we are
not sure that the absence from Genoa
and-the blank refusal TO assist in set
ting. Russia on her feet are the bes.
wayssto assist toward these objects. We
need aid from the United States to help
Europe stagger TO it's feet"
The STANDARD said: Americas re-
ply is a rebuff to the Standard Oil Com
pany, but that il the Allies delay a
settlement with Russia the Standard
may have a long and independent run
of negotiations with the Bolsheviki."
The Euening Neps said: Mr. Hughes.
the clear minded Secretary of State in
refusing to go to The Hague has boiled
down the truth about Russia into one
sentence. that the restoration Of pro-
ductivity in Russia must. in the nature
OF things. be provided within Russia
herself The present American refusal
Is a definite blow to The Hague confer
ence. but those who invited America to
20 there could hardly have expected her
70 change her opinion while the Bolshe-
visits had not changed their policy"
LONDON. May II wednesday, CAS-
sociated Press). - America would not
20 TO Genoa" says the Times editorial
ly, because she saw no promise there
OF effective measures or an appropriate
effort for the economic reconstruction
of Europe. and because she saw with
other clear sighted observers that the
conference would be political, not eco-
for the same reasons. She considers
that IL the Bolshevists maintain the at
~titude assumed in their memorandum
of May IL the difficulties which proved
fatal at Genoa will again arise at The
Hague. Mr.. Hughes is again perfectly
courteous and entirely sympathetic. and
affirms that his Government would be
most reluctant to abstain from any OPP
portunity for real helpfulness.
But he is consistent. and logical as
well. He goes straight to the foot OF
the whole problem-Russian recupera-
ton"
The conditions OF such reeuperation,
says the Times, are clear and have been
Indicated with authority and sufficient
precision by American statesmen from
the early days OF the Russian revolution
onwards. Citing Secretary Colby's note
of August 10. 1920 and the statements
OF Herbert Hoover and Secretary
Hughes. the Times concludes:
MIR. Hoover sees, as Secretary
Hughes sees and as Wall Street and the
city OF London see. that in Bolshevist
Russia there are no grounds for the
kind OF confidence on which a sensible
man would invest his savings. Greedy
spectators may gamble upon Bolshevist
promises, but the steady American cItI-
zen and the steady British citizen will
not The American Government says
Mr.. Hoover, is still ready to join in an
inquiry by experts into the economic
condition OF Russia and necessary reme-
dies But plainly Il disbelleves that any
such remedies can be found In "a COM