Pope had sent a letter on the need of peace with Russia. Don Sturzo, the Sicilian monk who manipulated the strings of Italian politics so dexterously that he has made the Catholic Populists the most powerful party in the country, had paid a fleeting visit to Genoa, talked at length with Mr Lloyd George, M. Tchitcherine, and the Archbishop, and left for Rome as suddenly as he came. Signor Gioletti's newspaper was writing of a probable fusion of the Russian Orthodox Church-an inevitable opponent of the Soviets, since the Bolshevist Directorate wanted to confiscate its propertywith the Catholic Church. Meanwhile another important force that had no official representation - the American "Big Business," which watched the opening session through gold-rimmed spectacles-was preparing a coup. On one of the most critical evenings in the Conference's history the wearers of these spectacles poured oil on the very troubled waters billions of pounds' worth of oil, that made the waters still more troubled. For three weeks and a day vast quantities of oil had remained quiescent beneath the crust of the Conference, although from time to time a few gallons had oozed through to the surface. One such occasion was when, on 14th April, Colonel Boyle of Klondike, the Royal Palace at Bucarest, the Royal Dutch Shell Combine, and a hundred and one adventures-arrived in Genoa from Tiflis, and, with an English secretary and a Canadian secretary, settled down in an unobtrusive hotel. Another was when Colonel Boyle closeted himself, first with Sir Philip Lloyd-Graeme (the British Government is a large shareholder in the Royal Dutch Shell Combine), and then with Comrade Krassin. Another was when one of the Americans, with gold-rimmed spectacles, also talked earnestly with Comrade Krassin, and then sent to New York a cablegram that had as telegraphic address the word "Socony (which is short for "Standard Oil Company of New Jersey). Following these interviews, the watchfulness of the men with gold - rimmed spectacles changed to watchful waiting for an opportunity exactly suitable to the coup they were planning. That opportunity came within sight when the Powers, weary of M. Tchitcherine's everlasting procrastination, set about framing a full, conclusive, and final ultimatum, which would set before the Russians certain cardinal principles with the demand, "take them or leave them." Nearly a week was spent in putting together the 3500 words of which the document was composed. Everybody's particular views, as well as the Cannes resolutions, had to be taken into account. Mr Lloyd George, in collaboration with Dr Benes -Premier of Czecho-Slovakia, for, instead of fully restoring, notable statesman, and friend foreign nationals' property, beof every delegation chief in ing the only point on which Genoa, set about collecting there was not apparent harthese views, and discovering mony), the men with the goldto what extent they might be rimmed spectacles sank their acceptable to M. Tchitcherine. shaft, and almost drowned the One day Dr Benes would lunch Conference in oil. with M. Barthou, pay an afternoon call on M. Jaspar, and see Signor Schanzer at the Royal Palace. Then, well primed with suggestions and insistences, he would dine with Mr Lloyd George. Next day the friend-of-all-the-world, over lunch with M. Tchitcherine, would attempt to plumb, down to rock-bottom depths, Russian readiness to compromise, leaving over until the coffee stage maybe the subject of Russia's separate treaty with CzechoSlovakia. By this means Mr Lloyd George learned that no entire ultimatum to which France and Belgium would subscribe could be accepted by Russia. So the title of the document was modified from ultimatum to "memorandum," in order that further discussions might not be ruled out after its presentation. Clause by clause the jurists drew up the memorandum from the two drafts submitted by British and French; clause by clause the political sub-commission examined, amended, and endorsed it. Then when the document that was to make or break the Conference was ready (a protest from Belgium against the clause that gave the Soviets the option of compensating On the day before the memorandum should have been signed an American Senator, who knew all about Standard Oil, showed an American correspondent the "copy" of a supposedly signed agreement, whereby the Royal Dutch Shell Combine was to have a monopoly of the foreign sales for at least five years of all the oil produced in Russia. The correspondent sent cablegram after cablegram to New York, and then gave the great news to his friends among the British. Meanwhile the French, Belgian, and Italian friends of the men with goldrimmed spectacles had likewise been told of the agreement. "Ha!" said everybody, now we know why the British arranged the Genoa Conference. It was to obtain a monopoly in the profits from oil areas that are the second greatest, and potentially the greatest, in the world. The British Government is one of the most important shareholders in Royal Dutch, is it not? " Oil spurted high above all other topics, and, bubbling with suspicions and jealousies, flowed into every hotel that housed a delegation. The telegraph wires to Paris and Brussels dotted and dashed the great oil concession. The instructions tele graphed back to the French and British Delegations in Genoa reeked of oil. Instead of attending the final meeting of the sub-commission that was to bless the Russian memorandum before sending it to Santa Margharita, M. Jaspar went to have his hair cut, shampooed, and oiled. M. Barrère-M. Barthou having left for Paris -declined to sign the memorandum until M. Poincaré should have spoken. The meeting was suspended, and until it was resumed every group of delegates spoke of nothing but oil. Finally, the memorandum went to M. Tchitcherine minus two signatures, and with a and with a prominent oil-stain across its front page. Every day for a week every French, Belgian, and Italian newspaper contained an article on oil. The agreement was denied by Colonel Boyle, by the Royal Dutch Shell Combine's directors, and by M. Krassin; but nothing could convince Genoa that Britain's main interest in a Russian treaty was not the obtaining of oil concessions. True, Genoa admitted the agreement might not have been signed, but quite evidently it had been negotiated, and would be signed when the Russian treaty had been concluded. And the men with the gold-rimmed spectacles, having all but drowned in oil Europe's belief in British good faith, booked sleeping berths on the Paris trains. There was nothing left for them to do in Genoa, now that they had ensured that Standard Oil's rivals should not-or, at any rate, not yet receive what Standard Oil had been unable to obtain for itself. At the moment of writing, oil is still the most likely topic wherever two or three conferenciers are gathered together. And M. Tchitcherine, who, having concluded his separate treaty with Germany, having prepared the ground for the conclusion of at least six post-Genoa treaties with other countries, having set the Allied nations at loggerheads, having all but broken up both the AngloFrench Entente and the Little Entente, is about to answer the Powers' memorandum with mock conciliatory proposals that seem destined to bring conclusive, if only partial, failure to the Conference, may well be congratulated on having obeyed to the last full-stop the abovequoted "confidential instructions from the All-Russian Soviet Executive to the Russian delegates" that conclude with the words : “... These suggestions are to be made use of very lavishly in all private negotiations, in order to sow discord among the various nations represented, and particularly in order to create animosity and rivalry in connection with the distribution of concessions for the exploitation of oil-fields, coal-mines, and forests." INDEX TO VOL. CCXI. A. F. O.'s, THE, 363. ARABIA, A JOURNEY IN, 166. Balfour, Sir Arthur, to the rescue of "BARTIMEUS": THE A. F. O.'s, 363. BÉBÉ, 599. DARWIN, BERNARD: AN EIGHTEENTH Debtor, the, 385. Decalogue, the irrelevant, 541. DOUX PAYS DE CHYPRE, LE, 472. 'BEGGAR'S OPERA' IN THE EIGHTEENTH ECHOES FROM THE MARSHES, 1, 381, BOTT, ALAN: To A GENOESE TUNE, Farewell, 520. 818. "BOW AND ADORE," 194. BRETON, Lieut.-Colonel E. P. LE: AN CAMPAGNA, A CADDIE oF THE, 798. "BOW AND ADORE," 194. CARR, Mrs COMYNS: THE BEGGAR'S CASTLE JANE, 301. CHAMBA: A SHOOTING TRIP in, 318. CHYPRE, LE DOUX PAYS DE, 472. CLEMENTI, Mrs CECIL: ON THE RUPU- COLOMBINA, 137. COUNTLESS STONES, THE, 119. CROSSWAYS OF THE GAME PATHS, AT Curzon, Lord, the letter of, to Mr DAILY ROUND, Tax, 409. I. The FARRER, F. L. :— A SHOOTING TRIP IN CHAMBA, 318. Father of Bunds, the, 668. "FIDALGO" IN THE EAST, THE, 608. FROM THE OUTPOSTS:- A LEADER OF MEN, 783. THE TOBACCO JAR, 55. FRONTIER, AN Unknown, 427. ECHOES FROM THE MARSHES-being THE PEOPLE OF THE CAMEL, 667. Genoa, the circus at, 814. GRAHAM, ALAN: MURDER DISQUALI- Granville-Barker, Mr, 'The Exemplary HANGING GARDEN GULLY, IN, 241. Hassain Chaoush, 7. HEATHER MIXTURE, 70, 206. IN HENRY: THE RECORD OF A FAITHFUL HOWELL, EVELYN: HENRY THE RECORD OF A Faithful Slave, 652. HUNGARY AND THE HUNGARIANS, 710. IMPRESSIONS, VAGABOND, 16, 505. Irish "Treaty," the, 260-effect of, on KLAXON: HEATHER MIXTURE, 70, 206. LAND DEBATABLE, Through all the, LEADER OF MEN, A, 783. Lloyd George, Mr, is he indispensable? LONG, A. W.: A FISHING TRIP IN THE COLOMBINA, 137. VAGABOND IMPRESSIONS, 16, 505. L. Z. 76, THE STRAFING OF, 160. MARSHES, ECHOES FROM THE, 1, 381, MISER, AN EIGHTEENTH CENTURY, 592. missal of, 543-picture of a harmoni- IN HANGING Garden GulLY, 241. Mother of Gold, the, 381. ORTON, MAY: BÉBÉ, 599. PUICH, MARTIN: THE RED DUSTER, : R. THE IRRECONCILABLES, 357. RED DUSTER, THE, 353. ROB ROY OF THE DESERT, A, 643. RUPUNUNI TRAIL, ON THE, 525. SAMAWAH, THE STORY OF THE SIEGE SHOOTING TRIP IN CHAMBA, A, 318. SMYTH, H. WARINGTON: A LITTLE Socialism, Professor Eucken on, 270. STRAHAN, J. A.: EASTERS IN IRE- LAND, 568. STORM IN THE Desert, 446. THROUGH ALL THE LAND DEbatable, 22. TOBACCO JAR, THE, 55. Treaty between England and Ireland, Trimming the Balance, 11. TYRANNY OF OBJECTS, THE, 761. UNKNOWN FRONTIER, AN, 427. MURDER DISQUALIFIES, 237, 480, 619, VAHEY, JOHN HASLETTE: THE CASE 724. OF CADWALLDR Jones, 774. Valera's bombshell, 129. VICKERY, Lieut.-Colonel C. E. :- A JOURNEY IN ARABIA, 166. A ROB ROY OF THE DESERT, 613. X.: A WHALE-HUNT, 91. YOUNG, DESMOND: "AN OLD YARN- Printed in Great Britain by WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND BONS. |