RECONSTRUCTING EUROPE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 3108, 29 December 1921, Page 5

R ECONSTRUCTING EUROPE.

ARRANGING A CONFERENCE. COLOSSAL SCIWE PROPOSED. ‘‘ By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. Received December 29, 9.15 a.in. LONDON, Dec. 28. It is expected that the meeting of British and French business men and industrialists will lead to an agreement on certain broad principles, which will be submitted to the Supreme Council as the basis for the establishment of a European financial corporation composed of the _ loading nations for the economic and industrial reconstruction of Europe. In furtherance of the scheme, the Council will arrange for the holding of a European economic conference, to which Germany and Russia may be invited, and also the United States and Japan. Such corporation, if necessary, will issue currency and lay down conditions upon which it would be willing to finance industries and reconstruct the railways of Europe, linking them up in one system, and supply rolling stock. The Times, in a leader, says it secs in the meeting the desire of Mr Lloyd George to establish closer relations with Russia. It expresses scepticism regarding dealings with the Soviet, and considers in the present financial embarrassments of every country, that any Government would dream of supporting such a colossal enterprise as the proposad corporation with money oi credit is entirely out of the question.— Times. INVITATION TO RUSSIA. Received December 29, 9.10 a.in. PARIS, Dec. 28. The Matin denies the rumour published in an English newspaper that lehiieherm and Litvinoff have been invited to an international economic conference, but all the ether newspapers assert that the invilationis an accomplished fact. The I.oeuvre says the invitation was given without M. Briand’s consent, although he would- have been unable to make any objection.—A. and N.Z. cable.