Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-05-18
NOTE Of AMERICA
NOT FINAL WORD
ON HAGUE MEETING
White House Confirms 0pin-
ion of George That Door Is
Open for Negotiation-Deh
egates Disappointed

GENOA, May 17.-(By the Assoc
Ciated ss.)-Prime Minister Lloyd
George does not feel, it was indicat-
ed this afternoon, that the American
refusal to participate IN the commits.
sion to sit at The Hague on Russian
affairs, is her final word, as the doc
ument indicates great American in
terest in Russia's economic recon
struction and the reply is regarded
as one forming basis for further
correspondence.
Ambassador Child handed the COM
munication from Washington, en-
bodying the American refusal, to
Mr.. Lloyd George shortly after noon.
The entire Russian delegation at
tended today's meeting of the po-
litical subcommission. Foreign min
lister Tchitcherin, head of the dele
cation, asked'a number of questions
concerning the details of the propos.
ed meeting at The Hague and upon
his request the Russians were grant
ed twenty-four hours in which to
frame reply to yesterdays pro-
posals concerning this meeting. The
subcommission then adjourned unit.
tomorrow.
At the conclusion of the meeting
Mr.. Lloyd George was handed the
American. note, but it was not dis
cussed by the subcommission.
Allies Disappointed
Great disappointment at the Amer
lean decision was expressed general
ly in conference circles, as the be,
lief had gradually been forming here
that the United States was ready
now to join the other powers in deal
ing with Russian economic problems
Th1s was reflected, for instance,
IN the newspaper Caffaro this morn
ing, which had a front page head
me streamer reading: UNITED States
OF America Participates at The
Hague"
The surprise caused by the decli-
nation was accumulated by reason of
"a statement the Italian press attrib-
uted to Ambassador Child, Quoting
him as saying to Foreign Minister
Schanzer that the United States
would probably accept, an invitation
to The Hague on condition that. the
powers bind themselves not to con-
clude separate agreements with Rus
STA while The Hague commission
was. sitting, and that the decisions
OF the commission be referred to the
respective governments for final ac-
ton.
The italian press, commenting on
this alleged statement, pointed out
that these conditions had already
been incorporated in the document
approved yesterday by the political
subcommission Of the conference and
therefore it might be concluded that
America would be represented on
The Hague commission.
What Europeans Think
When the news of the American
declination got abroad it became at
once the topic of the day, forming
the principal subject of discussion
in all the conference delegation. The
opinion generally expressed was that
American absence, from The Hague
might kill that meeting, as the re-
fusal of the United States to par
ticipate at Genoa was in the eyes
of many of the delegates the chief
reason for the failure Of the confer
ence here to achieve definite results.
1t was remarked that the govern
ment at Washington in refusing the
invitation to join the mixed commits
sion at The Hague implied a belief
that the powers would be confronted
there with the same insurmountable
difficulties as at Genoa, and that
therefore other means must be found
for solving the Russian problem as
we'll as meeting the dangerous Euro
pean political and economic situa-
ton.
Those among the delegates here
who were participants in the Wash
ington ornaments conference have
frequently reiterated their conclu-
sion that America believes the saliva
ton of Europe can only come by
each country earnestly setting to
work to restore her finances by bal
ancing her state budget, and that
this can only be done by reduc-
ing expenses, especially by limiting
ornaments.