Evening star., 1922-03-08
us. VITAL AT GENOA
| VIEW OF RATHENAU
German Minister Tells
Reichstag Committee Amer
lea Must Attend.

! By the Associated Press.
BERLIN, March 1.-THE United
States, which decided the war and
! shaped the peace Of Versailles, alone
can save the Genoa conference from
becoming a futile attempt at solving
the problems of European reconstruc-
ton"
This opinion was expressed today
by DR.. Walter Rathenau, the minister
of foreign affairs, before the reichs-
tags budget committee. He was
discussing reparations and Germany's
foreign problems.
Warns Against Optimism.
DIR. Rathenau warned the deputies
against undue optimism in expecting
relief from the deliberations at Genoa.
He told them that the absence of
the United States from the conference
table would severely restrict the use
fulness of the gathering. which, at
best, would be but another halting
place on the road to world peace and
economic reconstruction.
The foreign minister's reference to
American relief in Europe occupied a
conspicuous part of his speech, which
constituted the first positive utter
ance since taking over the foreign
ministry, dealing specifically with
the problem Of Americas relations to
c1al German quarters.
Supreme Council Still Court.
In the course of his reference to the
Genoa meeting. DIR. Rathenau told the
budget committee that material re-
lief from reparatiOnS burdens would
be hardly forthcoming in a gathering
of forty-four nations. most of which
were directly or indirectly interested
in the Versailles treaty. He declared
that the supreme council and the
rcparations commission would con-
t1nue to be the court of last appeal
on all reparation issues.
DIR. Rathenau. addressing the main
committee Of the reichstag, expressed
the hope that the nations. including
the United States, would reach an un-
lderstanding. among themselves under
which Germany, with the assistance
of other states, would be able to
realize large loan to satisfy her
creditors. He said the government
agreed that an effort must be made
at all costs to show former enemies
that Germany was prepared to dis
charge her reparations liabilities to
the limits of her capacity.
Opportunity for Diagnosis.
Referring to the tGenoa confer
ence. the foreign minister said:
Genoa will furnish an oppor-
tunity for diagnosing the general
causes of the worlds ailments and
for inducing the nations to COL
laborate in discovering ways and
means to heal the maladies from
which the entire European continent
is suffering. Genoa will be the first
link in a chain of conferences which
will take place this year and next
year"
Observing that the ten-day pay
ments of 31.000,000 gold marks al
ready has greatly influenced the rate
on the mark exchange to Germany's s
disadvantage. DIR. Rathenau said:
I'VE must have a final settlement of
the reparations questions"
Discussing Americas part in eco
nomic reconstruction. DR.. Rathenau
said:
ut will depend largely on the at
titude of the United States whether
the Genoa conference will constitute
milestone along the road leading
to world peace. Through its entry
into the war the United States de-
cided the outcome; in Versailles it
determined the peace, and now, by
throwing it's political and economic
assets into the balance. it is in a
position to accomplish the salvaging
Of the disordered world. thus de-
cisively influencing the direction of
po1ifica1 and econOnic Deace"