Evening star., 1922-05-07
BY OLIVER OWEN KUHN.

=
the merry whirligig Of claims,
counter-claims. charges, acri-
i mony and personal accusations
that have descended upon the
conference at Genoa there emerge
some pretty definite possibilities,
namely:
The conference designed to promote
the recohstruction of Europe aad Sc.
motion economic readjustment will
proceed to definite, desired ends, or
during the coming ten days 1t will pe
smashed with clear-clt chis.n be-
tween the allies.
: If the conference proceeds. unity of
the allies win be re-, stablished or
France and Belgium will fnl them
selves without the pale, rther nations
Proceeding along lines OF definite
agreement on economic and financial
arrangements and prepared to accom-
plish the purposes for whicG the con-
ference was called.
If success is to definitely appea.
over the diplomatic horizon. unitIl
European >front in agra ,meat with
Russia Is essential. And Russia must
concede the various points which have
been declared by other nations as es-
sential to de jure ec)gnitio1 and
financial aid. so necessary to Russia' 8
rehabilitation.
Hot Contest Waged
ION Property Clause.
For the past week a bitter contest
has been waged over the contents ard
|. purport of the ultimatum which has
been served upon the Russian delega-
tion at Genoa. Upon this the allies
found themselves hopelessly divided
at the hour of its dispatch Owing
no the contents. 'here is grave doubt
that the Russis.s Immediately Will
accept. 1t Is doubted that thsJ can
accept If they are not permitted tc
scheme of government naturalization
of industry, finance and economics.
Article s of the proposed ultima:um
has been the thorn in the flesh tnat
has produced such writings. and the
one. in fact. which today threatens
estrangement of wartime allies. If
heroic efforts are not taken by indi-
Sidual nations, European chaos may
be prolonged indefinitely.
The British. recognizing the fact
that 1T would be embarrassing to the
sRussians to agree to any clause un-
dermining the principles Of bolshev-
ism. the bedrock of the government
with which they would effect needed
agreements, proposed that straight
out and out restoration Of foreign
properties be not insisted upon: that
the bolsheviks be permitted to make
compensation to foreign nationals Or
Era9t~leaseholds upon properties con-
fscated under the bolshevik regime.
restoration of property without equiv
ocation or qualification. In this pol
icy they have found backing from the
Poincare government. As conse-
quence. the Russians are thumbing
tan ultimatum devoid Of the signatures
y Of either of these two countries.
Feeling that Poincare. through Bel
Eium. has been attempting to torpedo
the Genoa conference has been openly
expressed in England. Belgium and
France, op the other hand. have
openly declared that the leniency of
Lloyd George in. handling ths' prop
r erty restoration clause Is due en-
tirely to British scheme to obtain
kformer French and Belgian holdings,
notably oil concessions. after tho boil
)ments with the nationals 2f these
countries. The British concession
that the Russians should not be per-
nitted to place such compensated
concessions in the hands of thlrd
parties evidently has failed to ap-
who are insistent that the bnishevIks
should emphatically admit obligation
to the restoration of all properties
held by foreigners in Ru ssia. mas
much as Belgium and France always
have been heavy investors il lSussian
enterprises there is basis for the fr
demands, but the British and other
nationals represented ut Genoa be-
lieve that these countries are stretch
ling a point. particularly when refusal
lof the Russians to any such -stipula-
,fion might lead to disruption oil the
Genoa conference.
Russian Viewpoint
A to Acceptance.
The Russians have expressed amaze
9nent at the allies demands. which,
among other things. require payment
Of pre-war debts and those obligA-
r. lions acquired during the war Even
/. should these be adjusted ail all In
{dustrial claims be placed IN the hands
Of commissions, to which Chief tus-
lice Taft of the United States Su-
preme Court would name ths prtsiG-
ing officers. the Russians fee. that by
no doing they would be forced 20 ad-
NIT an inferiority which they are not
prepared to do.
But inasmuch as there IL a keen
desire on the part of Moscow to OBJ
. tain dc jure recognition from other
powers and loans commensurate with
Russia's great needs. the -Slav dele
gates more likely will quibble on the
majority of the allied demands. with
The view Of eventually accepting them
In modified form. Owing to the fund
i~k of $ha ~