The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, .1929. BRITAIN AND RUSSIA.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 October 1929, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, .1929. BRITAIN AND RUSSIA.

When the Labour Government took offi.ee it was expected that one oi' its first moves would be to attempt a reconciliation between Great Britain and Russia, and the cable messages recently show that preliminary progress, at least, has been made. Though the ("ouxorvative Government was responsible for breaking off relations with Russia it was quite ready to meet her, as i\lr Baldwin stated, in the spirit of goodwill and liberality which inspires all Britain’s foreign policy. But before that reconciliation could lie effected he asked for guarantees that Russia was prepared to observe the ordin*

ary decencies of international intercourse and to aostaiii iro.u a policy ot intrigue and hostility elsewhere. The same difficulties lm.e ta.ed Mr Arthur iaciideisOn, jjriiish Foreign Secretary,

in lus Defoliations inui me soviet representative, and though it Mould up-, pear mat an understanding has been leached on the matter ot interference in the internal anairs or the British hiinpire, it will he re-mem cored that tile soviet Government lias, in the past, given a similar undertaking and has liiOnen it liagrantly. Its reply to remonstrances Unit it lias no control over me activities ol : the Communist international was generally telt to be a- political subterfuge, a.id the article m the protocol just s gned, dealing with this phase of the question, makes it qu.te plain that intimate relation* -etnecu tiie two countr.es will be largely dependent upon the inclination a.id tne po.-.er ot the contracting parties to suppress the activities or any person or organisation engaged in poniical intrigues dangerous to tiie peace ol eimer nation. Prooa.bly Russia's years in tne international wilderness nave brought her wisdom, and wh.le she may he pei lectly honest in her proless.oils, wise men will wait to see the fruits of repentance bo-lore bestowing forgiveness or readily accepting new prom.ses. Another obstacle in the way of reconciliation has been the failure of mo hoviet Government to settle her cleats. The repudiation of pre-revolution loreign dents and the confiscation of foreign property have created a reel.ng ot distrust that will not be removed until Russia acknowledges what is owing, and the agreement of its representative to this ques- - on ot deut-s ueing one to be settled by iiej.otiat.oii, shows,that the Soviet Government recognises it is hopeless to secure loreign credits or to float an international loan until it has restored con.ideiue among foreign nations. The negotiations with the Labour Government in llh;4 broke down because the Soviet delegation insisted upon the British Government's guarantee of a loan to be used by the Russ.an Government, which was not to be liable to meet any obligation to its creditors until it received a guaranteed loan. Evidently the Soviet authorities are ready to adopt a more 1 disenable attitude, with the result that prospects of new terms being made with Moscow are steadily improving. The future lies, says tiie Christchurch Times, not so much in the hands of the British Government as in the hands of the Russians themselves. The resumption o. diplomatic relations would pave the way for agreement that would be of the greatest benelit to British trade and would relieve a situation detrimental to British industries hungry for new orders. The negotiations that have taken place between representatives of the two nations may be taken as evidence that there is a strong party in Moscow genuinely anxious to secure British help, well-knowing the only conditions upon which it will be giv-