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The press WEDNESDAY, JULY 10, 1918. America and Russia.

It has been known that the American Government have been against the policy of simple military intervention in Russia, and that it has been owing to America's opposition that that policy has.not been carried out. The American Government have not, however, been content to adopt a purely negative and passive attitude. Kiev have been considering the best means of rendering effective assistance, and today it is authoritatively announced that they are sending an economic missijn to take the distracted country in hand and offset the German military and economic invasion of the new democracy. This scheme has apparently been taking shape for some time in Washington, where an American League to Aid and Co-operate with Russia—composed of leading business men and financiers, social workers, labour leaders, and students of Russian affairs—have been discussing plans with the President and Secretary of State. As a basis of action the League proposed the establishment of a Gov T eminent bureau or division of Russian affairs, and tho allocation of ample funds for its work. Germany has a separate bureau of this kind, and has gona far already towards securing control of natural and developed resources. According to reports received in official quarters in Washington, "large nd " well-equipped factories which ore of " no use to their Russian owners " while a central government is lacking, are b6ing gobbled up by tho " Germans by stock purchases," and it is held that Allied enterprises should have been on the ground many months ago to forestall that invasion. Different observers give different accounts, lot of the need of assistance for Russia, ind prompt assistance—for on that point there is no disagreement—but of the attitude of the Russian people towards intervention. Their sad experience of the ways of Germany would naturally tend to make them suspicious jf everybody who came in with the expressed intention of helping them, but ; i Washington, where the necessity Tor J :aution has been best recognised, cas ' :ome to tho opinion that tho right kind if intervention would be welcomed. It - would have to bo the right kind of an ; 1 expedition, however, as a Washington ji correspondent in close touch with the j White House explained last month, I < "jrith practical help to the ■

'• people as well as military protection "for tbem against the Germans." "he Siberian peasants, and the Russian people generally, would be grateful for sucn assistance, and would rally rouni it in sufficient strength to secure the re-°.stablishment of a real Russinn Government thoroughly in keeping •wito the principles of the Russian revolution. Mr Wilson has repeatedly declared that he means to stand by Russia, and has never been more emphatic on the point than on those occasions when official Allied opinion -ppearcd to be turning towards the abandonment of Russia to her fate. It. is not surprising, therefore, that in the matter of intervention he dominates the Allies. The Washington correspondent of "The Times," at the end of May reported that the Allied Governments had promised to co-operate in every way in any plans Mr Wilson might formulate. : Resppnsibility «or tho decision as to the form intervention should take, the correspondent said, rested virtually in Mr Wilson's hands. The saving of Russia is exactly the kind of project that would appeal to the American people, and the idea will not be new to them, because tho pro-Chinese American policy in China has accustomed them to unselfishness in foreign policy. There are hundreds of Americans who have special capacity for assisting in tho organising of American interest in Russia and the carrying out of a plan of help both economic and military. It is one of Mr Wilson s indispensable conditions of a settlement that the German gains in the East must be cancelled, and America is accordingly under an obligation to take steps to see that thohe gains shall bo nullified, and not only the territorial gains, but the economic gains also. If tho report that an American mission is to be sent is correct, wo may shortly expect to see some definite movement towards order out of tho chaos in which Russian democracy appears to he struggling .n vain.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19180710.2.24

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16260, 10 July 1918, Page 6

Word count
Tapeke kupu
700

The press WEDNESDAY, JULY 10, 1918. America and Russia. Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16260, 10 July 1918, Page 6

The press WEDNESDAY, JULY 10, 1918. America and Russia. Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16260, 10 July 1918, Page 6

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