* The International Bank The Statutes of the International Bank
have been published, and are being chisely scrutinized -by Govern- mentS before the resumption of the 'Hague COnference: It is not to be merely a Reparations clearing-house, but a " World Bank " in embryo on the lines of the 'Paris Experts' recommendations. When we remember what confusion was caused by the " havering as to where the original ConferenCe was to7be held, we can only 'deplore the beating about the bush as to the date of the final settlement. To say that the- French Government have deliberately employed Fabian tactics may not •be quite fair, but when M. Tardieu had an excellent reason for wishing the Conference to be postponed until January (namely; that the 'French Budget was to come before the Chamber in December and that the whole - strength of the Government was required in Paris), we are at a loss to understand why no official statement -Wag- niade straightaway. As ar result outsiders haVe had to fall back upon the "ingenuons excuses and pretexts of 'the Paris Press. We cannot contemplate with equanimity a second Hague Conference to be held' on the eve of the Five Powers! Naval Conference, -which itself mifortu- nately clashes with the Meeting of the Council of the League Of "Nations. Moreover, after the"LetidotiT6ris duel, which, we imagine, was going on behind the scenes in August, the pronouncement from the French Ministry of Finance on •Wednesdak, Novemb er 13th, concerning Paris as an international money market; was, to say the least of it, disquieting.
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