Genoa Conference.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 April 1922, Page 2

Genoa Conference.

HTSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION KR ANCE’S DETERMINATION. PARIS, April 24. M. Poincaire, Premier of France, adore- ing the Meuse Council General, said that France would remain at the Genoa Conference only on condition that she is not called upon to make concessions either to Germany or to Soviet Russia. It was indispensable, ! e said, that the Allies should retain control of Germany’s armaments. When Germany completely disarmed, lie said, France would gladly follow suit. Whatever occurred at Genoa, the new situation resulting from the Russo-Ger-man treaty was one of the most formidable that had arisen since the armistice. It must be examined in conjunction with the Allies. France was j determined to preserve everything she | had gained under the Treaty of Ver- ■ saiiles.

j AT GENOA. I LONDON. April 25. . \ The Australian Press correspondent at j Ccnoa states it is unofiicially reportlod a Russo-Hungarian Treaty was 1 signed on Saturday, creating a block between Roland and the Little Entente.

PRESSMEN ADDRESSED. Received This Day at 8 a.m.) GENOA, April 5Lord Birkenhead, attired in flannels and a yachting cap, addressed British and American newspaper men. He said everyone should bring a contribution, not earning criticism to the conference. Three commissions were doing good work which stultified the efforts of those who looked for the failure of the Conference. He already saw reasons for hoping that the last war might conceivably be really the last. They must not regard the Bolsheviks as fools. If they were, they would not have retained so long, unchallenged control of so large an area of country. Hungarians have denied that they have signed a treaty with Germany, but he believed there had l>een some discussions on the subject. Whatever the views we had on the subject of the Russian Government, we must recognise it. was a commonplace of international law that every nation was entitled to its own form of government. The first condition to reconstruction was to bring Russia under some kind of fundamental policy so as io enable her to resume relations with ('tlier countries. Lord Birkenhead added that he understood the Economic Commission had arrived at important recommendations, regarding the prohibition of imports which hitherto hampered trading. He regretted a section of the British press had not written a single word to aid the conference. It would he a tragedy if it failed.