The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-04-11
THE GENOA CONFERENCES.

The widely heralded congress of ma
tons called to assemble in Genoa
finally has got under way with 90
nations represented. The United
States is not officially, one of these
but it has a man there to WATCH the
proceedings The purpose of the con-
ference on the surface appears to be
to put Europe on its feet in finan-
cial and business way. If the nations
assembled can find a way to rehabil-
itate their credit they probably will
find American bankers ready to ex-
tend Accommodations
In contrast to the position OF this
country is that of England. which is
fully represented. altho she probably
has no greater interest in the proceed
ings than we have. Like this coun-
try she is financially and jndustrially
independent. True, many OF the other
participants in the conference owe her
money. They also owe us money.
The restoration of the machinery of
international trade appears to be the
main object of the conference. Lloyd
George in discussing the meeting in
the house of commons said:
The conference has been called to
consider the problem of reconstruc-
ton of economic Europe. devastated,
-broken into fragments by the devas-
tatinR agencies Of war. Europe-the
richest OF all continents, the continent
which possesses the largest amount
Of accumulated wealth and certainly
the greatest machinery for production
of wealth and the largest aggregate
of human means. with highly civilized
needs and with highly civilized means
of supplying those needs. and there
fore Europe y the best customer in
Impoverished by the greatest destruc-
tion OF capital that the world has ever
witnessed.
If the European countries had gath
cred together their mobile wealth in
one pyramid and set it on fire, the re-
complete as far as the capital wealth
of Europa is concerned Interna-
t5Onal trade has been disorga nized
thru and thru; the recognized medium
OF commerce. exchange based on cur
reHcy. has become almost unavoidable.
and vast areas upon which Europe
had hitherto depended for a large
proportion of it's food supplies and its
raw materials are completely de-
StrOyed for all purposes OF commerce.
The nations. instead Of co-oPerat-
ing to restore IL, are broken up by
suspicious and creating difficulties
ana new art1ficIaE restrictions. Great
armies are ready to march. and the
nations. already overburdened with
taxation. are having to bear addition
al taxation which the maintenance of
these huge armies. to avoid suspect
ed dangers, has rendered necessary
Genoa has been summoned to ex-
anime the best method of restoring
order out of this welter and recover
ing prosperity out of this desolation.
The premier characterized the con-
ference as the only rational process
short of force OF bringing the world
gradually back to something like nor
NAL conditions. and from normal con-
ditions to something which is better.
Our own arms conference, he said,
achieved everything it had been per
mitted to consider" The world can.
not now get on without conferences,
he continued. 1t is impossible in the
present state OF Europe. to get on
without them The world - so bat
tered. SO bruised. SO crushed. there
are so many injuries to its vital or
sans.'' said Mr. Lloyd George. that
the cure will be slow one. and it will
need many consultations of its leading
physicians"