GENOA CONFERENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18540, 28 April 1922, Page 5

GENOA CONFERENCE

FRANCE’S ATTITUDE M. POINCARE’S SPEECH. RESENTED IN GERMANY. BITTER ANTI-FRENCH FEELING. . Press Association—By T*l»graph—Copyright. BERLIN, April 26. M. Poincare’s speech, which was delivered at Bar-Le-Duc, has evoked intense bitterness. The press which represents the Right Party, which has observed a truce since the Genoa Conference, is now rabidly Nationalist and anti-French. The Kreuz Zeitung heads a leading article “Poincare’s Declaration of War,’ and predicts that Blench troops will occupy Rhineland on May 31. Germany, it says, is unable to offer military resistance, but she can practice passive resistance. The paper advises the Government to pay up file sums which are due for reparations.—A. and N-Z. Cable. FRANCE’S ISOLATION. PARIS, April 26. The Petit Parisien says: “Even assuming the worst, it is evident that M. Poincare does not intend France to act alone when he declares that France alone would have the right to take action. He has too much confidence in the good sense of the Allies, and more particularly in the loyalty of Great Britain and of the British Government, ■ to believe that he would have to enforce his strict rights. The French Government, while fully determined to exercise its rights to the full, does not intend to exceed the limits laid down. The Government’s decision will follow those of the Reparations Commission, which would be regulated by the acteof the German Government for the period ending May 31.”—A. and N.Z. Cable. THE RUSSIAN SITUATION. QUESTIONS OF FINANCE. GENOA, April 26. The Russian situation is still not clear. The Russians asked that the hank balances in the various countries during the Czarist regime should be surrendered, but this demand is countered bv the fact that the Soviet has not restored private property held under the old regime. The position at present is that the Experts Committee is preparing a voluminous proces verbal of the meeting at which the Russian claims and offers will be discussed. These minutes will require to be signed by those who are engaged on the discussion before work is resumed. The proces verbal deals with questions 1 to 7 of the London experts’ report.—A. and N.Z. Cable. POLAND’S POSITION. RUSSIAN DELEGATES’ VIEWS. GENOA, April '26. The Russians take the view that if the Germans are excluded from the first Coramision the Poles- should similarly be excluded, because thev concluded an agreement with Russia more wide-reaching than the Russo-German agreement. In no circumstances will the Russians permit any third Power to interfere with their treaties. The Poles deny the Russian allegation, declaring that what they signed at Riga was merely a protocol which declared the de jure recognition of the Soviet was desirable, but nothing so far had been done to give effect to it.—A. and N.Z. Cable. PRIVATE PROPERTY DIFFICULTY. GRAVE MISGIVINGS. GENOA, April 26. There are grave misgivings whether the question of private property can be overcome. It cuts clean across the Russian policy of nationalisation. If a modus vivendi on this point can be reached the rest of conference’s work will be fairly easy.—A. and N.Z. Cable. THE RUSSIAN VIEWPOINT. M. TCHITOHERIN’S EXPLANATION. PARIS, April 26. M. Tchitcherin, interviewed, said that a general agreement as envisaged at the beginning of the conference was no longer possible. The obstacle was Russia’s fundamental principles regarding the non-ex-istence of private property. The chief object of the Genoa Conference was the establishment of an international regime permitting co-operation with Russia and other countries. For that object reciprocal abstention from intereference in international affairs was indispensable. Unfortunately the European States desired to impose measures which in Russia would be entirely contrary to their legislation. Russia was not disposed to sign with each nation at Genoa an agreement similar to the Bapallo Treaty.—A. and N.Z. Cable. ALLIED NOTE. DEMANDS FORMULATED. GENOA, April 26. The Allied Note to be presented to the Russians to-morrow is practically an ultimatum demanding unequivocal replies to the four principal Powers regarding, first, the payment of war debts either entirely or with a reduction based on Russia’s capacity to pay; secondly, the payment of pre-war debts with the granting of a necessary and reasonable moratorium; thirdly, an indemnity for all damages caused to foreigners: fourthly, restitution of confiscated property. The Allies are drawing up other points. An endeavour will be made to force Russia to reply at the earliest possible moment in order to close the conference before May 10. The Political Committee is the only one which has not finished its work._ All the' others have practically terminated theirs by enlarging the decisions taken by previous conferences and leaving the League of Nations to put them into effect. —A. and N.Z. Cable. MR LLOYD GEORGE. GENOA, April 26. The rumours' that Mr Lloyd George is returning to England are untrue. He intends to remain until the political aspect of the conference is settled one way or the other and a definite basis established.— A. and N.Z. Cable. PACT OF PEACE. NO OFFICIAL INFORMATION. LONDON, April 26. The Australian Press Association’s Genoa correspondent says that some of the French and Italian papers publish what purports to be the text of Mr Lloyd George’s pact of peace; but the document does not come from the British delegation, and does not represent their views. A rough draft of the pact has been prepared and submitted to several heads of the delegations, who have approved of it in principle.—-A. and N.Z. Cable. THE HOUSEWIFE PLEASED. Naturally, the housewife is _ concerned when shifting becomes imperative. She wonders how she will get on; how her furriture will bo affected too. Well, by emloyine us she can have an easy mind. She won’t be put to any undue trouble, nor will her furniture be mishandled. Our men are experts, and their work invariably pleases—so guide, careful, tradesmanlike. —The New Zealand Express Ca (Ltd,). —Adrt.