HELPING EUROPE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17182, 27 October 1923, Page 2

HELPING EUROPE.

AMERICAN POLICY. PROSPECTS OF ENTERING CONFERENCE.

By Telegraph—Preee Association—Copyright Australian and X.Z. Cable Association. (Received October 27. 9.40 a.m.) WASHINGTON, October 26. Although' the American Government stands ready to enter a. European Kei partitions Conference, having the full I attendance of Allied Powers, it is uuj willing to agree beforehand to a meet- ' ing at which there* might be empty i chairs. For the moment, the officials | are content not to elaborate on Air i Hughes’s pronouncement or predict i what effect it may have on a British attempt to obtain some semblance of a world-wide effort to solve the ills of the European continent. Tlie indications are that with the subject re-opened, important developments might follow, and with Britain friendly .to the principle of a. conference. attention turns to France, whoso objection heretofore- made the full participation of the Allies in such consultation impossible. What measure of confidence in French co-operation may have actuated Lord Curzon in despatching the message of inquiry to Washington is unknown here. The officials are inclined to await an. official expression from Paris before venturing an opinion a.s to whether Lord C'urzon's overture lias succeeded or failed, or if | Frances adheres to the position she- has held. It- was admitted here that a contributing factor to such decision may bo tho insistence of Air Hughes that tho international debt question must be kept separate from that of reparations. From the outset there is no indication that the United States Government has any intention of cancelling the debts owed it as a result of the war by France or any other nation. Air Hughes replied in the negative to Lord CurzovTs question regarding the possibility of representation on:the Reparations Commission. He hqld this to be a natural unescapablc result of the policy followed by the United States ever since it refused to ratify the Treaty of Versailles. The officials are pleased that official notice has been taken of Air Hughes's Newhavcn suggestion and that the British officials at least have seen in it the possibility of a final solution. , The position of the State Depart- ! ment is that Air Hughes's reply to / Ivord Curzon should bo left to speak ! for itself as a re-definition of Ameri- | can policy.