MR. LLOYD GEORGE AND THE SOVIET.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 November 1919, Page 9

MR. LLOYD GEORGE AND THE SOVIET.

A REMARKABLE STATEMENT. ' BEHIND THE SCENES IN BRITISH POLITICS. (London Times Correspondent.) New York, September 13. One of the remarkable statements made by Mr. William C. Bullitt, the former expert of the American Peace Commission, in his testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee yesterday, was that after Mr. Lloyd George had denied in the House of Commons that approaches had been made by the Russian Soviet Government, to the Allies, his secretary, Mr. Philip Kerr, called on him (Mr. Bullitt) and "apologised for his chief's action." "Mr. Kerr explained," said Mr. Bullitt to the Committee, "thai when Mr. Lloyd George got home intending to recommend favorable action on the Sovjet proposal, he found that Lord North - clifl'e and Mr. Winston Churchill had risked no a Conservative majority which intended to slay him if he did so. In dealing with Mr. Lloyd; George." said Mr. Bullitt to the Committee, commenting on the latter's statement to the House of Commons, "you must remember that you cannot take any of his public statements seriously." The following is Mr. Bullitt's version of the genesis of the Prinkipo Conference negotiations which took place with the Lenin Government, and Mr. Lloyd George's share in the matter. "Tn early .Tanuarv," he said, "Mr. Lloyd George made proposals at a meeting of all the Russian factions in Paris. Reading from the minutes of the conference of the Council of Ten which took place on January 21, Mr. Bullitt said that after President Wilson had suggested that the meeting should take place farther East, it was finalW agreed, in spite of M. Clemenceau's objections, that' Mr. Wilson should draft the plan for the Prinkipo meeting."

SECRET RUSSIAN MISSION. " The proposal later fell through, Mr. Bullitt added, owing to French opposition, but "Mr. Lloyd George was still determined on some such meeting, and I arranged a conference between him and Colonel House for February 2-1, to discuss how it could be brought about." On February 19 M. Clemenceau was shot. Mr. Lloyd George telephoned from London suying that since M. Clemenceau had been shot be (M. Clemenceau) "was boss of the roost," and it was useless to attempt anything in opposition to his wishes. "The I'rinkipo plan was dropped," said Mr. Bullitt, "and T was sent to Russia to find out i bow the fighting could be stopped, and

to get back as quickly as possible with the Soviet Government's proposal." The journey was kept secret from the other Allied wpvcsec.tal.ives except the British —"the United States Mission had practically had no secrets from the British Mission," said Mr. Bullitt. , -He then read to the Committee the proposition from Lenin's Government, which he said had never been made public in Paris. Colonel House, who (said Mr. Bullitt) was enthusiastically in favor of making peace on the basis laid down in the Lenin proposal, discussed the matier at some length with Mr. Lloyd George and General Smuts. General Smuts said it should not be allowed to lapse. Mr. Lloyd George, howlever, Mr. Bullitt nddedj said he.did not know about British public opinion. He (Mr. Lloyd Gcorgel had .1 copy of the Daily Mail, and called alien t?on to it 9 attitude, and asked how he could be expected to do anything "in face of that sort of thing." SEARCH FOR. AN ENVOY. Mr. Lloyd George (continued Mr. Bullitt) said some one should be sent to Russia who was known to the world as a complete Conservative, and remarked, "I wonder if Lord Lansdowne would go," but, said Mr. Bullitt, he quickly added, "No, they would probably kill him." Mr. Lloyd George said he wished either Lord Robert Cecil or General Smuts would go, and finally he discussed sending Lord Salisbury. Mr. Bullitt added that Mr. Lloyd George urged him to make Ms report public. "I attempted to," said Mr. Bullitt. "I submitted it to the Commission, but there was no man willing to assume responsibility for its publication." Referring to Mr. Lloyd Georie's statement, to the House of Commons, Mr. Bullitt said "it was the imost egregious case of misleading the public ever known." In the course of bis evidence Mr. Bulilitt quoted a statement which he says Mr. Lansing made to him on May lil last, .to the effect, that "if the Senate understands, and if the American people understand this Treaiy. it will be defeated." According to Mr. Bullitt, Mr. Lansing added that the League of Nations was "utterly useless," and parts of the Treaty "thoroughly bad." [Mr. Lloyd George subsequently referred to the above statement as a "tissue of lies."] 1