THE LONDON CONFERENCE

Evening Star, Issue 18048, 16 August 1922, Page 6

THE LONDON CONFERENCE

FRAHCO-BRITISH RELATIONS. AVOIDING A BREACH. Press Association—-By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, August 14. The fears that fihe breakdown of the conference would involve a breach of tho Entente were allayed by_ the fact that M. Poincare subsequently joined the others in considering the Austrian question, which, was referred to the League oi Nations. —A. and N.Z. Cable.

WHY WEEK-ENDS ARE NEEDED

MR LLOYD GEORGE EXPLAINS.

LONDON, August 14. A piquant side-issue of the conference was Mr Lloyd George’s explanation why lie had spent the week-end in the country, regarding which there had been heated French criticism. Ho said Drat ho hoped the delegates did not misunderstand has motive. " There was strong feeling _ m Great Britain against public work being carried on on Sunday unless tho situation urgently demanded it. He thought that the experts needed a. rest, and that the delegates would wrestle with tho problems better after a respite.—A. and N.Z. Cable. SAFEGUARDING THE ENTENTE. M. POINCARE’S STATEMENT. LONDON, August 14. M. Poincare, in the course of a lengthy verbal statement, said bo wanted to insist that there should be no rupture of the Entente, and that if French opinion thought Britain wished to impose her will on France it would have the deep sorrow of a. cruel awakening. “If Franco took back her liberty of action it would inevitably smash the Entente, which for thirtyfive years I have fostered and worked for. I shall do everything possible that I can to prevent such a disaster.”—A. and N.Z. Cable. NO ROOM FOR COMPROMISE. LONDON, August 15. The ‘Daily Express’ says editorially: ** Yor three years sui appearance oi miterallied unity'has been maintained by a series of compromises. This time no compromise between England s economic and France’s political outlooks is possible. Wo shall continue to hope till the twelfth hour that Franco will take counsel with reason and sobriety, and that she will not act. separately against her own best interests.”—A. and N.Z. Cable, FRENCH PRESS COMMENTS. PARIS, August 15. ‘ Ire Temps ’ considers that Mr Lloyd George is attempting to carry out the traditional British nolw of preventing the formation of a Continental bloc. The paper adds : “ He is said to be afraid of French hegemony on tho European Continent; (but it is not necessary that one State should dominate ail the others m order to form a bloc, which wonta be constituted naturally if all the were threatened with one and the same economic ruin. Lloyd George s policy as leading to this ruin.” WILL FRANCE ACT ALONE? LONDON, August 15. (Received August 16, at 12.10 p.m.) Before leaving for Paris_ M. Poincare, accompanied by his staff, visited the Unknown Soldier’s grave at Westminster Abbey and placed a magnificent wreath tied with tricolor thereto.' PARIS, August 15. Tho ‘ Petit Pension ’ says that future An<do-Freiiich relations will not necessarily be prejudiced ; but the situation is false, with slight hope of England "doing justice to Franco. * Le Journal ’ thinks that the quarrel will be permanent, with regard to carrying out tho terms of tho Peace Treaty. Tire only result, if the Reparations Commission takes no action, will be that the French Government will be forced to act._ In any case Germany will be forced to give satisifaction.—A. and N.Z. Cable.

GERMAN DISAPPOINTMENT,

BERLIN, August 15.

Tho breakdown of the conference has created depression in political and financial circles, but it is hoped that the Reparations Commission will grant a moratorium.

MARK AND FRANC FALL.

LONDON, August 15. As a result of the “breakdown of the London Conference the foreign exchange market is in a chaotic state. The mark has fallen to 4,610 to the £l, and tho French franc to 56.