GENOA CONFERENCE.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume XXIII, 19 May 1922, Page 1

GENOA CONFERENCE.

AMERICA AND THE HAGUE. STILL AN OPEN DOOR. Press Assn. —By TeL—Copyright. WASHINGTON, May 17. A White House official saiu to-day that although on the surface it may seem as if the United States entirely refused to co-operate with European Powers, the truth is that the American Government is not only ready but anxious to participate in the Conference on Russian affairs. It is understood definitely that Mr Harding is ready to send a representative to The Hague or anywhere else to discuss the Russian question, and that if the Powers will modify the proposals and remove the features objectionable to this country, American co-operation can be assured. Mr Harding feels that the door is open for America to help and he wants that clearly understood. Both Air Harding and Mr Hughes believe that much can be accomplished if the Russian question is treated as an economic matter and if Russians will respect private rights and property, and thus afford a basis for economic dealings with other nations. The American reply is intended as a piece of moral suasion, it being hoped that the Powers will be able to persuade the Russians that the giving of American help will be seriously considered in Washington, just as soon as an economic basis can be achieved, which will warrant the United States in extending its hand. This accounts for the speed with which the American reply was despatched. The Powers at Genoa were expected to use the American Note as a medium for further negotiations with the Russians. Mi- Lloyd George interjected: What countries ? Not ours. M. Tchitcherin said that he reserved the right to suggest amendments later. He was anxious that the Sub-Commis-sion should recommend the control of zones on frontiers to prevent “incidents.” There was a certain amount of discussion as to whether the truce would bind Far Eastern Republics. Viscount Ishii wished to be clear on this point. Mr Lloyd George said that he wished the pact to apply to Asiatic as well as European frontiers. Speaking to M. Tchitcherin’s statement, Mr Lloyd George declined to deal with the German admission, but when it came to dealing with the Commission’s report, the Germans had an equal chance of participation, - Neither Rome nor London was agreeable to tin? British delegation. It was desirable that the work of the commission should not be prejudiced by what happened at Genoa. The discussions at The Hague had an international aspect and should not be coloured by what happened at Genoa, where so wide divergence occurred as to make agreement impossible. The plan now was to see if the experts could find a solution of the problems presented by rival systems. Undoubtedly the difficulty had been the gulf between these systems. He believed that the existence of Russian peasant land-ownership would 'bring about some approximation of the rival systems. It was unfortunate that May Day occurred in the middle of the Conference. He believed the May Day demonstration at Moscow had a re-per-cussion on Genoa. There certainly would be two Commissions sitting at the Hague. He begged M. Tchitcherin to look upon the organisation as a practical thing, and not to make differences over form. He thought too much was made of the Wrangel bands, which were a greater trouble to countries harbouring them than to Russia. The latter gained enormously by the fact that all countries were bound by a truce, thus giving the chance of things calming down in both Russia and elsewhere. Nothing amused him more than the way statesmen compared inoffensiveness of their own statesmen with the wickedness of others. M. Tchitcherin wanted them to believe that Russian leaders possessed all the Christian virtues, while other countries were always plotting and scheming. He hoped when the truce wag signed all would keep it. The Sub-Commission adopted the proposal that the next Conference meet at the Hague. The Dutch representative undertook to afford the Soviet all facilities. It was decided that the truce re-

main in force for four months after the Hague meeting. The final Plenary Session will be held on Friday morning, after which the Empire delegates will return to London. M. Tchitcherin, in a statement before the Sub-Commission, said that the appointment of two commissions at the Hague seemed to the Russian delegation unfortunate, because it would perpetuate the Genoa situation. Nevertheless the Russians accepted the proposal to meet at the Hague, but protested against Germany’s exclusion, as the question of credits did not come within the Rapallo agreement. He would have much preferred to meet at Stockholm or Riga, but was ready to go to London or Rome. He welcomed the truce, which should apply to all Allied and Soviet Republics. He wished the scope broadened to include raiding bands, such as General Wrangel's, and begged that such raiders be removed to distant countries.