Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1922-05-05
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 lmpends
in China.
gy 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 60
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 u
slams are bargaining with the other
powers and last week succeeded IN
bringing about a deadlock. 70 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 "a
to enable Russia to reorgalslZe 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 n
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 r under a
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, NJ. Barthou, chairman
of the committee handling the matter,
abruptly called a halt to further dis
cussion of the Russian debt. The
French, backed by their government
were absolutely opposed to r%ecogniz'
ing the soviet government and t.
granting it credits, and, according tt
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 Grea
Britain, and each predicted that thu
policy of the other would lead to an
other war. They agreed that thi
would result from a combining of Rus
STA and Germany. The German dele
gates had accepted the command t
keep out of the discussion of Russian
affairs because of their separate
treaty with Moscow, but this was no
enough. The Russian delegates wer
enraged by the fact that Poland ioine'
In this disciplinary measure and in tn
note signed by eleven of the power
reserving the right to declare null an
void n clauses of the RapallO pac
held to be In violation of the treaty @
Versailles or any other treaty. In
note to the Poles, the Russians dc
clared that the soviet government
could in no case permit treaties mad
by 1t ito depend for their legality o
the action of powers not signatory.
Considering that Russia has powerfr
forces massed on the Polish frontie
the language of the note was taken t
carry q distinct threat of hostilitie
against Poland, as well as a warnin
to all the powers.
MEANWHILE Premier Poincar
M in a speech at Barbecue, asser