THE H.B. TRIBUNE THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1927 PACIFIST RUSSIA

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 24 November 1927, Page 4

THE H.B. TRIBUNE THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1927 PACIFIST RUSSIA

JF what a Moscow message gave us yesterday as an outline of a statement macie by M. Litvmoff provides a tair sample of what is to De expected from Russian spokesmen at the coming preparatory conference on disarmament, then it does not appear as if they were going to contribute greatly to the cordiality of the proceedings. From what he had to say it would seem that the chief purpose of sending delegates from Moscow to Geneva is to seek opportunity for holding Soviet Russia up to the world as the only really peace-loving country in it. When one remembers that the Russians have by much the largest number of trained forces actually under arms of any European nation, and that they are continually and confessedly engaged in stirring up world-wide strife, this pose of pacifism looks rather hollow. Last week another representative of the inner circle at Moscow announced that at the conference the Soviet delegates would propose “a consistent policy of complete disarmament, provided that this is under the control of the great toling masses.” This seemingly predicates that the nations concerned are first of all to be brought under the sway of the proletariat, which involves apreliminary movement that is scarcely to be achieved in a day or a week. It is, of course, a condition precedent that stultifies the professions made.

The French press has interpreted the Russian decision to take part in the conference as an intention to attempt the driving of a fresh wedge between France and Germany. On the other hand, British correspondents at Geneva predict a special attack on Britain’s naval policy, with a particular reference to the break-down of the recent Three-Powers Conference on the limitation of navies. The general conclusion has been that the story of peace “gestures” from Moscow are too good to be sincere. As a matter of existing fact, States bordering on Russia have to keep themselves constantly prepared for attack from that quarter. The Soviet press itself has recently and openly discussed plans for augmenting an already imposing military air fleet, and for manufacturing poison gas and disease microbes with which, by means of bombing raids, Russian machines might persuade the people of neighbouring States to accept the gospel of non-Christian brotherhood as preached in the home of the Communists. The British Secretary for War informed the House of Commons last week that he understood the Soviet had recently purchased 50,000 tons of nitrate, presumably for munitions, and other essential war material. Then, w.q had Vorosliiloff, the

Moscow Commissary for War, addressing an “All Russian Congress of Women factory and land workers” last month in words of peace and goodwill which are worth pondering. The Soviet law, he said, provided for compulsory military service of women in time of war. Women were able to play a great part in the present campaign to “create a military spirit among the workmen and peasants.” He exhorted them to return to their homes bearing the watchwords — “Cease hoarding foodstuffs I Cease hampering all military preparations! Cease playing into the hands of the enemy!” The trouble is that the Soviet leaders rule their own land by the sword and by terrorism. They know no other way. They strive to impress other nations by no other methods. Superficially one would suppose that, having acquired the secret of earthly happiness under government of, by, and for the proletariat, their system would require no foreign advertisement, let alone enforcement upon other nations. Yet, so intent are the Bolshevists upon compelling others to participate in their superior enjoyment of life that they have proclaimed to that end the universal class war. Fortunately the reputation of the Russian soldier, Red or otherwise, in military service outside his own country perished with the renowned Suvaroff. When, after the British dismissal of the conspira tors of the Russian Trade delega tion in London, the Soviet Government declared war with Britain to be imminent, panic seized the Russian peasantry. Food supplies became irregular. For weeks people had to wait in queues for bread, suga,r and salt. The peasants hoarded supplies. Vorosliiloff, in his address —above-mentioned— to the women’s congress, declared food hoarding to be “a serious, and even a dangerous, phenomenon just now before the mobilisation for a death’grapple with the militarist States which are about to attack the Soviet Republics.” The probabilities are that one of the functions of the Bolshevist emissaries at the conference will be to so shape their course there as to give all possible apparent substance to this fiction in order t< justify further exactions for mill tary purposes.