Genoa Conference.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 May 1922, Page 2

Genoa Conference.

IUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. SIR J. COOK’S SUMMARY. LONDON, May 23. Sii J. Cook (Australian High Com missioner) interviewed, said that the Genoa Conference, in some respects was incomplete, but it was not a failure, ■\s some of its enemies proclaimed. Its i. <o opleter.ess related principally to the r lations of the Powers with Russia. '! iiat difficulty arose from an incoinpathility of two fundamentally different is.emsof Government. M. Lenin and M. Trotsky, being absent, it was necessary to refer matters to Moscow, where ! e atmosphere was not conducive to

".rcoment and conciliation witli the Conference Powers. Nevertheless, the grins wee very considerable, notably the pact of peace, the proposed cureiiey co-operation for a supply of cred‘‘s, also tjie financial and economic decisions.

The peace pact, unfortunately, was nob- temporary, but nevertheless valu•’c It was sometimes forgotten that there were 1,000,000 armed men on the Russian borders. Therefore even a pact for nine to 12 months was an important step towards the world pacification. The Financial Commission agreed the nations should balance their budge’s without inflating currency. On both »* e finance and economic commissions, there were crucial questions affecting Australasia. Many nations had unsuc•essfully endeavoured, in their own-,in-tovests. to establish an international free Australian interest. Several small. r Kuropean nations endeavoured to secure a regulation of exports. Had those proposals been carried, Australia would have been hampered, but unfortunately, a relaxation was secured. Sir .1. Cook concluded: —“My expertises at Genoa emphasise the necessity for the Dominions being directly represented at these conferences. Otherwise there is a danger that questions effecting the Dominions will be decided without sufficient consideration being ■riven to. the. - Dominions’ point of view.” He referred to Mr Lloyd George’s sympathetic attitude towards ti e Dominions’ views, and also _ paid a tribute to his strenuous effort's to solve the problems of Russia, and Germany, and create a hotter world atmosphere.