THE GENOA CONFERENCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18463, 26 January 1922, Page 4

THE GENOA CONFERENCE.

The prospects for the/" realisation, through the Genoa Conference, of all the aspirations for the peace and welfare Of Europe to which Mr Lloyd George has given expression are not at the moment as roseate as they might be. Manifestly, the success of the Conference must be dependent to a very important degree upon the extent to which it is truly representative of the nations, those especially whose 'influence is most to be reckoned, with, and upon the zeal for international co-operation, brought to the .Conference table by the emissaries of the various Governments. Unfortunately it appears very doubtful whether the United States will be represented' 4 at Genoa. The Washington correspondent of the New York Times affirms that th© United Stated will not participate in the Conference; as long as France keeps heavy land forces under arms and Russia has an unstable Government and maintains a largo armyl This statement may do less than justice to the reasons why the Government at Washington proposes, if that be its intention, to .decline to be represented at Genoa. .Such abstention is not likely to have , any visible effect in altering the military policy of France or in bringing about an improvement in the unsatisfactory state of affairs in Russia. Any lack of. enthusiasm ,ih America for the Genoa Conference is probably bom of complex reasons, not all of them altruistic. Unless the signs are very misleading, however, France is definitely pointed to as a present obstacle in the waters which the Conference proposes to navigate. Moreover Franco, herself will not go to the Conference with a free and open mind. It is questionable whether the Government has any cordial sympathy with the project, Almost Immediately after his recent accession *to office, M. Poincar<s was reported to have said that his , Government was strongly opposed to the Genoa Conference as being dangerous to Franco. Nor is the impression of lukewarmness towards the Conference modified by M. Poincare’s later statement respecting the stipulations as to procedure and guarantees that must govern the representation of France at Genoa unless she is to claim “ complete freedom of action.” It will be unfortunate if the utility of the Conference should be impaired thrpugh the nonrepresentation of important Powers at It, but it may detract also from the yalue of the Conference if the representation of any nations at it is to bp contingent upon certain things being done beforehand to their satisfaction.