The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE. MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 1920. THE FRANCO-BRITISH RIFT.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3553, 16 August 1920, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE.

MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 1920. THE FRANCO-BRITISH RIFT.

With which is incorporated “The Taihape Post and Waimarino News "

That settlement of the Russian problem apparently favoured by representatives attending recent Entente conferences has not been generally promulgated amongst the peoples of the various nations concerned. It is unbelieveable that a definite course should be decided upon at the Conference to he cast to the winds a few days afterwards. If, will seem to most people that the Delegates were at no time prepared to in any degree recognise Soviet government, and, therefore, there was little underlying the arrangements made for a peace meeting between the Poles and Russians at Minsk. It further appears ag though the Poles were quite conversant with whatever other, and secret determination Britain, France and Italy, had arrived at. The Poles did not honour * their engagement to meet the Russians in a peace parley at Minsk, and it was no inconsiderable influence which would make them willing parties to a scheme that might end in the wreck of their capital city. While Mr Lloyd George is stating in the British House of Commons that the Entente are quite prepared to complete a peace with Russian Soviet government, the Prime Minister of France was repudiating any connection whatsoever with the Soviet, and like a bolt from the bhie came the announcement from him that Prance had officially recognised who is waging a successful campaign against Bolshevism in south-western Russia. At the moment it appears that Mr Lloyd George has been a party to sublet r uge in order to gain the time necessary for the enfeeblement of Soviet forcas warring against Poland, while opening up an easy way to such a series of successes for Wrangel’s armies as.would assuredly re.sult in a considerable accession of men, munitions, money and provisions. The position now is that Soviet armies are waging a very difficult conflict with the Poles; they are victorious but so hardly pressed and punished that unless Poland is finally defeated their victory will prove nothing more than a very serious Goss. While this conflict in Poland is raging, Wrangel’s armies are having an easy victor’s march; they have functioned with Cossack forces, and, presumably. that help that was sometime ago being organised under French officers in Hungary and Roumanla is due, or has already arrived. With very considerable reinforcements that are not tired and warsick. Wrangel will undoubtedly become a serious problem for Bolshevik solution, and, if nothing in the way °f a gamble is indulged in or the Soviet enemy power and military sagacity is not under-estimated, the pence with Russia may yet be a very long way off. Whatever may he divulged by immediate future happenings, it seems almost beyond doubt ihat Entente nations are not acting or proceeding in accordance with their pretensions, as given voice to by the British Prime Minister in Parliament. The Entente has showered millions of money upon armies in Russia with a view to killing Sovietism, but hitherto Entente confidence was placed in what have proved to be either fools or rogues. In endeavouring tl to secure Russian acknowledgement of debts owing to Britain the British government has lost very many more millions of the taxpeyer’s money the country could ill affo^ 1

and which has resulted in a conditio of semi-starvation amongst British people. Confidence is exhausted in the Government’s power to force Russia into an acceptance of the debts contracted, and there will be strong opposition to further action in Russia unles§. an almost miraculous reversion of ■ anti-Soviet fortunes is wrought by Wrangel and the new forces that are to link their fortunes with his. There is so little information available as to what forces Wrangel has, or may have, at his command, and of the strategic value of his present position and recent

gains, that no dependable estimate, or opinion, can be formed respecting his chances of success. Suddenly, and simultaneously, a flood of cable messages arrive, all to the effect that Bolshevism is discredited and on the decline in Siberia, Persia, India, China and other places. Unfortunately, however, something similar has previously happened, consequently nobody attaches any importance to such messages; but people under all suns have now been electrified by the remarkable opposing attitudes of the British and French Prime Ministers. There is without dsubt an explanation, but that explanation is not yet available for public inforfnation. France is not so s eriously “menaced by internal revolutionaries as Britain; i n Britain, that middle-class organisation known as the “Companions of Intelligence!” has not become so powerful as a similar organisation in France has, therefore, the French Prime Minister would take bold action against Sovietism, in cases that Mr Lloyd George would hesitate to move at all in. But whatever may be the explanation there Is the fact that France has apparently acted in diametric opposition to an agreement arrived at with Britain. No intelligent .person can help the thought that either Lloyd George or M. Milleranr} is acting falsely; it is too great a strain upon the faculty of credibility to expect people to believe that each ,was perfectly ignorant of the others view 3 and intentions. If France has flouted the policy acceptable to other Entente nations, she virtually shoulders the whole of the responsibility for bringing Russian Sovietism to an honest realisation of its obligations, and Britain need trouble no further than to fulfil the determination to see that Poland i$ not forced to accept any form of government that is other .than acceptable to its people. On the other hand, while weakly apologising for the rift with Britain. French newspapers are confident that “Britain, under pressure of events, may rejoin Prance,” in the endeavour to find a peaceful solution of the Russian problem. Socialist and labour newspapers are of opinion that the Wrangel affair will he costlier to France than either Koltchak or Denikin, and In addition will cost France what is left of the British Alliance. If France is really false to what was agreed upon at the Hythe Conference, and the British Prime Minister v?aa truly astonished and alarmed at the 'French break-away, it is apparent that the French , Government has taken a risk of appalling seriousness and magnitude.