The Monmouth inquirer., 1922-05-11
FRENCH CABINET
BACKS BELGIUM
Poincare's Government Agrees to
Measure Aimed at Blocking Brit
ish Oil Monopoly in Russia.
NULLIFYING SOVIET MEMO
Cabinet Votes to Oppose Encroachment
Of Soviet Upon Private Property.
See Menace to America-5rit-
ain Forsaking Allies.

Paris. The provisional approval
which the French delegation gave to
the note to Russia, drafted at Genoa
and signed by all the conferees ex-
cept Belgium, will be withdrawn, and
France will stand by her neighbor in
resisting any encroachment upon pri-
vate property in Russia.
This decision was reached at cab
met meeting here attended by Louis
Barthou, who had come from Genoa to
lay the whole case before his col
leagues.
AS the situation now stands, Pre-
mier Poincare and NJ. Barthou are in
full accord. The policy of France at
the conference will be one of loyalty
to her old allies. She is unwilling to
give up her traditional friendship for
Belgium, and she will not enter into
any arrangement that jeopardizes
American interests, which she cvnsid-
ers imperiled by the concessions made
in the note to Russia.
While the French government Is
willing to concede the right of Russia
to seize property for government uses,
it is not willing to see private property
seized for the purpose of selling it to
the highest bidder. The cabinet took
the stand that the recognition of this
principle is fundamental, without
which foreign aid is impossible.
Barthou had returned to Paris ex-
pecting to influence Poincare to sign
delegation had Professionally accepted.
and then induce the premier to meet
Lloyd George to discuss PREPARATIONS.
But in this he was disappointed, as
the entire cabinet united, in the de-
cision to remain true to their convic-
tions, even though their stand resulted
in IA complete breaking up of the con-
ference.
The position takel. by the cabinet is
that if the conference now breaks up
the blame will attach to those who
have forsaken their allies.
The cabinet discussed the latest in
formation tending to prove that Brit
ish oil interests had an agreement with
the Soviet government.
Peincare's followers are pleased with
his determination to remain in Paris,
where they believe he can follow de-
velopments in Genoa with clearer
vision than if he plunged into the
midst of the turmoil. The cabinet is
firm in it's determination not to sane
tion meeting of the Supreme Council
to discuss reparations until after the
Reparution Commission has made its
report on May 81.
At the close of the cabinet meeting
Poincare congratulated Barthou on the
admirable mlL-er in which he had
handled French affairs at the Genoa
conference.
1t is the belief in French official cir
cles that there is battle royal going
on under the surface at Genoa be-
tween the Standard Oil Company and
the Shell and Royal Dutch oil inter
ests and that it is this fight which Is
actuating Lloyd Georges present poll
CIV. France is not willing to sacrifice
her own Interests for the purpose of
forwarding those of British trust,
but would rather, if given choice, fa-
vor the Standard OIL Company.
Leonid Krassin of Russia denies that
any negotiations are going on between
the Soviet government and the Shell
and Royal Dutch oil interests. but MIR.
Rakowski, another Russian delegate.
admits that such negotiations have
been going on for some time 1t is as
serted here that Great Britain is capa-
BILE Of Juggling with International i'm
| terests to favor the British oil inter
estss
1t is pointed out that Great Britain
did this in the case of Albania. where
| she disregarded the Serbian encroach-
ments until the Persian Oil Company
acquired the entire Albanian conces-
sions. AT that moment Lloyd George
discovered" the Balkan country and
| Immediately demanded that the am
bassadors' council protect the nation
and establish definite frontiers