A NOTABLE DEVELOPMENT

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 20 April 1922, Page 7

A NOTABLE DEVELOPMENT

'ATTITUDE OF 'NEUTRALS

(United Service). .Received April 20, 1.15 p.m. LONDON, April 19. The Daily Mail's "Genoa correspondent says that a notable development in thp crisis is the rally of neutrals to Germany. M. Motta (Switzerland), on i behalf of themselves and Denmark. .Holland. Norway and Spain for- -. :tnally requested the president of the ;_ .Conference to summon speedily a meeting of the full commission appointed to -conduct discussions with Russia before Mr Lloyd-George suspended it and "transferred its functions to a. limited body at_ his villa. These neutrals state j :they wish to prevent the Conference collapsing, but the real motive is indignation that a decree expelling Gerimany from the Russian discussions was issued without consulting the neutrals, ;who had been told that they were on an equal footing wvth the Allied Pow- . -era. The breaking up of the Conrer•ence is still considered likely. 1 (Reuter). GENOA, April 18. German circles state that the GerTnan reply to the Allied Note will declare that the German delegation is ready to submit the Russo-German to a conference, but protests *gainst exclusion from the discussion •*>n the Russian position, pointing out ifchat this is a matter for the decision of the whole Conference, not the Allies "Duly.

The Labour Conference, convened by the International Federation of Trade Unions at Genoa, has concluded. It .adopted resolutions declaring that the •claims of Labour were an indispensable ■(Condition in the reconstruction of the -world, favouring international action * jon the-basis of equality to be necessary, demanding disarmament and the can---jDellation of the discussion to control J*aw materials.

Paris, April 19. In consequence of the German assertions that they had previously discussed the Russo-German treaty with •British officials, Mr Lloyd George has issued a statement to the French, press, •emphasising the British loyalty to the French stipulations concerning the -■scope of the conference, and declaring "iihat Britain and France will continue "to co-operate. He asserts that Britain

is opposed to all ascendencies |in Europe, believing peace to be the great 'T "common interest.