The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28th, 1924.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 November 1924, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28th, 1924.

R FSSI.VX COMPLICATIONS. The situation involved in the relations between Britain and Russia is taking on n new phase. The Baldwin Government has made up its mind on two aspects—the Russian treaties and the Zinovieff letter. In regard to the former, Russia has been notified that the treaties will not be presented for ratification, which was the only loophole left by Mr Ramsay MacDonald. There were strange stories current governing the signing of the treaties, and the Labour Government made the ratifica-

Hun of the treaties ait election issue. But the electors answered in no uncertain sound, and Air Baldwin has a complete mandate to exercise his own .judgment in the matter, and that has keen done by the pronouncement that the treaties are not to lie ratified. The Note of the British ( overnment to the Hussion representative in Dondon regarding the authenticity of the notorious Xinoviffi’ letter, was in very I lain terms amounting to a vriha.l castigation ol the Soviet methods in reference to the relations with Great Britain. The Bussian Government was held up to ridicule and even contempt lor its action, and plainly i barged with double-dealing m the matter. Tbe treaty conditions s-i far as they were accepted in tbe preliminaries, were at nine nullified bv the terns of the Xinovielf letter, and the British Government uses some very plain terms in its review of the case in the light of the circumstances governing the revelations following the Cabinet enquiry. It would appear that the /.inovielf letter was only one plume of the Soviet duplicity, as other similar olfences are hinted at as being within the knowledge of His Majesty’s Government. The Labor Government while it had the authority, upheld the treaties, and went to the polls determined on ratification, notwithstanding the deceit which was being practiced per medium of the Zinovielf letter on behalf of Kus.sia. The last- is that Labor is ruled invariabh by the extielni.st.s. The extremists in the British section dictated. in fact forced, Mr Ramsay MacDonald to complete an eleventh hour treaty with ltus-ia. This was done outside of Cabinet and after full negotiations tlirough that channel had failed. All of which goes to show that the dotninntioii of tlio oxtiomist section is the danger side of the Labour movement. The Soviet is held up very often to admiration by the advanced Socialists, and of i nurse liv tbe Communists. They are the noisy elements in the T.ahor movement in most countries. AVc have them so acting in Australia and New Zealand anil it is well to bear in mind that this is so. The incitement to revolutionary disorders and the defiance of law and order and settled conditions. nre the familiar actions of these extremists. They are never so happy as when ill the limelight assisting to direct tyrannous action. Authority is often slow to wake up to a true sense of the position. But it would appear the British Cabinet is alert as to the true position and the nature of the drift which was going on. They did not cloak their decision with any honeyed words of diplomacy, hut conveyed to the Bussian representative their conclusions as to the actions of the Soviet in regard to the double dealing which was going on, and emphasised in very plain terms indeed why they had decided to refuse reference of the matter to the House of Commons. Itussia has received a lesson no less salutary than that given the recalcitrants in Egypt.