An Example for Genoa.

Evening Star, Issue 17927, 24 March 1922, Page 4

An Example for Genoa.

Tun object of the Genoa Conference to bo held next month is

to do for Europe what it is fondly hoped the Washington Conference

has done for the Pacific—and something more. There are some American Senators who doubt—or profess to doubt —whether the Washington Conference has done anything to effect its objects of ensuring the peace of tire Pacific and providing a new basis of co-operation for the nations that have interests therein. Their view, however. is no more than a" minority one. The general disposition of statesmen with, more claim to distinction than Mr Borah and his companions can boast has been to hail the agreements of the Washington Conference as a great forward step in the history of mankind. The programme for Genoa will be more exacting, because it will be economic as well as political. Agreements will he less easily attained because, as many more countries will bo represented, more scope will bo given for mutfial suspicions and jealousies to obstruct the path to harmony ; but the financial and political reconstruction of Europe makes an object so important to all the Powers involved that the best efforts should not be wanting for its furtherance. If the nations that will corno together at Genoa, are to think more of their old fends than their common necessities, there will bo small chance of useful agreements being reached; but the hope that a better spirit may he shown by them is encouraged by rapprochements recently achieved in Central Europe, which have been too much obscured by lire Washington Conference. if the Austrians and Czechoslovaks ran agree to forget their ancient enmities and work together for the common good, there are no nations in Europe which should not be able to do so, and that triumph of a new spirit over the dissensions of tlie past has just been accomplished, '

The Little Entente, as it was first formed between Czecho-Slovakia, Jugoslavia, and Rumania, might have contained as much menace as promise of value to Europe. It was very much of an alliance of the old kind, an attempt at a now balance of power. That aspect of it was not sensibly altered when the alliance was extended to include Poland a few months ago, but a new pact which has been made between Czecho-Slovakia and Austria stands for a development of a very different kind. By the terms of this compnft both these former enemies agree to carry out in their entirety the terms of the treaties concluding the Great War by which they arc affected, to respect the sanctity of each other's territory, and inform each other of conventions they may make with neighboring Powers. A significant clause provides for the settlement of all disputes which may arise between them “either by friendly negotiation or by submitting the conflict to the Permanent International Court of Arbitration, or to arbitration an other manner mutually agreed upon.” The agreement, which is to bo submitted to the League of Nations, has been described by Dr Benes, the Premier and Foreign Minister of Czecho-Slovakia, as “ only the expression of the public opinion of both countries,” and that statement has been endorsed by the Austrian as well as by the Bohemian Press. “ Wo have liquidated onco and for all,” said Dr Bettes, “ the problems and difficulties, economic and financial, which have stood in our way since the war and the peace treaties. We have concluded a political agreement which, confirming tho new order of things in Central 'Europe, is a great step towards peace all round.” The Austrian Chancellor, 'Trr expressing hia concurrence with the remarks of Dr Bencsl, declared that tho exchange of opinions which had taken place “in such an atmosphere of mutual_ confidence and

accord signified the beginning of a new ora in tho relations between tho two countries.” The statesmen who have done so much for tho peace of Central Europe have set the best example for Genoa.