STRAINING AT NOTES

While the University, except for the organizations taking spring trips and those Seniors inspired by studious necessity, has been hibernating, the rest of the world has continued to keep the more or less even tenor of its way. All, that is, but the supposably "economic" conference of the nations at Genoa, which, during the past week or ten days, has passed from the potentially sublime to the positively ridiculous. What "might have been" an extremely sane and important conclave is fast deteriorating into a free-for-all diplomatic contest with no holds barred.

There is no space here to enter into the various ramifications that have brought this change to pass. From the discovery of a secret Russo-German treaty, ultimatum, reply, charge of ambiguity, counter-reply, and second ultimatum have followed "fast and ever faster," until the whole procedure is now entangled in a maze of words and assumed misunderstandings. And more than once has the disruption of the entire gathering been threatened. The atmosphere at Genoa is as calmly deliberative as must have been that in the vicinity of the Kilkenhy cats whose talls were knotted together. In a final effort to call down peace the Allied powers have adopted the somewhat Alexandrian tactics of practically ordering Germany out of the discussion of Russian affairs and reparations. Whether this move will succeed remains to be seen. If it does, there is still the Russian "bill for damages" to be attended to.

Whatever fond hopes may have been held for the conference must by this time have nearly gone a-glimmering. The sight of twentieth-century diplomats, so-called, straining at notes and swallowing armaments, provokes either laughter or ennui--certainly not admiration. Without doubt Europe is more ready to call some sort of international truce than it has been for centuries. Yet the truce is not forthcoming. The conference has been going on long enough to have accomplished something by now; and yet no one is happy or satisfied. Expect perhaps the diplomats themselves.