TRADE WITH RUSSIA.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3509, 11 June 1920, Page 3

TRADE WITH RUSSIA.

DISCUSSION IN THIQ HOUSE OF COMMONS.

LONDON, June 7‘

In the House of Commons, Colonel Grafton, in moving the :Idjoui'illnoilt_. asked the nieaning of the negotiations with Krassin. He said the Russian Government had :1 tainted record of violence and murders. Russia had not anything with which to trade to Britain. He ridiculed the stories of Russion grzmarics bm'sfing with grain. .\loi'o.ovel', the sum of 65 millions sterling which it was suggested Russia held for payment for imports was largely stolen gold belonging to one 01' other of the-.:‘1llios.

Sir Samuel Hoare condemned attacks upon the Preniier. He declared the latter had two fundamental interests at heart——the need for goods and peace. Nevertheless, there would be {LII impression here and in France that if we zi<:Cepted Russian gold we would be zmtiiig as receivers of stolen goods. in Lloyd Geoi-,qe, replyiiig, said the derision to trade with Russia was taken in P:u*i.<. with M. Clemenceau in the chair. All the Allies were represented on that occasion. They came to ‘(L un:inimou.< decision that it was desirable to open trade relations. He declared that the Allies acted in this nmtter upon evidence from anti-Bol-sheviks, who had been driven out of RllFSl2i_. but were associated with the co—operative niovenient. Subsequently the San Reine conference adopted a resolution «.leel:iring‘ readiness to discuss with Kras:<in the best methods of i-esumptl‘on of trade. Upon this tleoision ii-;»gotiu/rions were now_ prooee(ling‘ with Ki-nssin. with the asSon’C of all the AZ‘lies. Re-guu~d-itig «avail.;l})l(j }§tO{jkS in Russia, the Preniier stntetl tlmt the Poles coiifessed that there were eonsitlerahle quantities of wlmat :":_n- export in Ukraine and Si~ hei'ia. Mi‘ Lloyd George said he had no (joubt Tl’l(’l'(‘ were essential commodities in R1i:~':‘~i:1. He ridiculed the arguinei2t. that we could not trade with Russia bee:al'..~'e we disapproved Of its Government. or on. account of atrocities. It.’ was a new doctrine that people znust :Ippl'oV'e of the habits and customs of another people before they Could tra-le with the latter. To urge such :1 ‘.'l(.‘\\' now’ was gross folly. They had to e.onsider the whole situation. It. uppallevl him to think of What might happen Inlle.s.~' tlieysucceetled in restoring the world. The alternative policy was to say they would kill Bolshevism because it was an evil thing. That iineunt putting their strength of mzmhood into it. It would mean the loss of l.'llll(ll'(‘.(lS of thousamls of men and the mldition of ."hou.<anrls of mil~ lions to the National Debt. He ziskedz “Are you prepared to do that?”