EUROPE'S WAR CLOUD.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 99, 28 April 1922, Page 5

EUROPE'S WAR CLOUD.

GROWING BIGGER DAILY 'YrORM MAY BREAK SOON. IF GENOA CONGRESS FAIL. MR. LLOYD GEORGE'S FEARS. (By Cable.—Press Association Copyright.) ' (Received 10.3p a.m.) LONDON, April 27. Mr. Lloyd George, addressing a gathering of journalists at Genoa, was very impressive. He said that the conference was the greatest and most important ever held. Whether it succeeded or failed it is bound to have a great and lasting- effect upon the future of the Continent, and would affect other Continents to a greater degree than any other conference in the history of the world. The question of whether carnage should cease in Europe would depend on this conference. Some people are impatient because solutions have not been found in a single fortnight, but the •Washington Conference took three months, and was worth every hour of •that time. "The -whole frontiers of Eastern Europe, from the Baltic to the Black Sea, are unsettled," he continued. Every one of them involved the possibility of terrible conflict. The racial lava of Eastern Europe was boiling with the possibilities of conflicts ■which "would draw in the whole of Europe, and may even involve distant" America. Then you have Russia and Germany in a state of semi-antagonism to the rest of Europe. Anybody who imagines you can permanently keep down these two great peoples, representing two-thirds of the people of Europe, must either be blind or blinkered; it is an impossibility; it-is insanity. The Russo-Gernian agreement is a revelation to some people. "I ventured to give a warning a long time ago as to what was inevitable unless there was a good understanding. When the hunger of Russia is equipped by the anger of Germany, how long will it be before Europe is devastated, if that should represent the policy of any European combination? For the moment we belong to the dominant and ■triumphant group, but these things do not last for ever. If our victory degenerates into oppression, if it is tinctured -and tainted by selfish interests, if the conscience of mankind feeU we abused the triumph God placed in our hands, then vengeance will inevitably follow just as it followed in the wake of the act by Germany which outraged the ■world's moral sense. "We must 6how restraint in the hour of triumph, otherwise Europe will again be a welter of blood within the life-time of those whose hair is now grey. That is why I wrought to make the Genoa Congress a success. I am alarmed at the storms gathering over Europe. They may not break immediately, but they •will inevitably unless the atmosphere can be cleared. I. am amazed at people ■who ignore these' portentous facts and concentrate in selfish trivialities. "Frankly, I wish America were here. Her very aloofness from these European problems would give her the right to epeak with authority. Her aid would have been invaluable, as her voice would liave been the voice of peace, conciliation, and goodwill. But it is too late; America is not here, and Europe must do her best to solve her problems in ler own way." He urged the Press of both countries to do their utmost to help the conference to a successful issue. Later Mr. Lloyd George informallj conferred -with, the heads of the - tions. He expects to outline his non- ! aggression pact scheme at -the plenary * session of the conference on Monday. • The Supreme Council will probably 1 meet on May 6. and the Germans will ! be invited to attend. —(A. and ,N.Z.) 1 i I ■ -. _ I CLAIM OF THE RUSSIANS. ] ALONE FAITHFUL TO CANNES. , !■'..-. Olecci-red 2.30 p.m.) "GENOA, April.27. : The Russians aTe awaiting the Allies' Note. On the first eeven points Russian experts state that they have not the , slightest intention of breaking the pourparlers, but are' firmly ' determined to maintain their sovereign rights. They maintain that the Soviet alone remains faithful to the essentials of. the Cannes decisions. No reply has yet been received from Paris relative to the meeting of the "Versailles signatories. It is expected that a plenary session will, be held next, week to deal with reports of the Second, Third, and Fourth Commissions. .. . .. . - The Germans are delighted at Mr. Lloyd George's speech, declaring it the best exposition of the European situation yet made. Satisfactory progress has been.made in drafting the Note to the Russians. Some papers eontimie to describe the Xote as an ultimatum, but it is nothing of the kind, and U merely intended as an exhortation to the Soviet-to hasten proceedings. The sub-committee dealing with Customs has nearly completed its taslc. It aims at co-ordinating the regulations throughout the world, introducing common commercial terminology into Customs documents. The sub-committee on economics Iβ developing a scheme to abolish double income tax. —(A. and N.Z. Cable.)PRANCE AND THE COUNCIL. (Received 11.30 a.m.) PARIS, April 27. Tie "Matin" cays. that M- Poincare has accepted in principle Mr. Lloyd George's proposal that the Supreme Council meet at the earliest possible moment." M. Poincare will probably demand that the meeting be held in Pans, not Genoa. He is prepared to meet the Allies before M. Millerand's return from Africa if necessary M. Barthou points out that Mr. Lloyd George's programme included trie discussion of possible sanctions on May 31 if the Reparations Commission notifies Germany's default. The view taken . in Paris ig that acceptance of the proposal to discuss reparations eanetions jrlor to-the end of May is likely w> swiously prejudice the-ConMniwioßV-e* , „**»-** a* tester i*o -