BRITAIN'S POLICY.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 November 1919, Page 5

BRITAIN'S POLICY.

IN RUSSIA, EGYPT & SYRIA.. OUTLINED BY MINISTERS. By Telegraph.—Press Assn —Copyrleht. Received Nov. 19, 8.15 p.m. , London, Nov. 17. \ In, the House ,of Commons, Lord (Robert Cecil said that Bolshevism had |>een a regime of atrocious, cold-blooded murder and outrage, and one of the most brutal and bloodiest despotisms that ever stained history. Armed foreign intervention was absolutely impossible. He hoped that Denikin and Koltchak Jvould abandon their Moscow expedition tnd re-organise the territories already occupied, establishing a stable Government. This would speedily have an overwhelming moral effect upon their Bolshevik neighbours. Lord Robert Cecil urged the Government to be absolutely clear and definite displaying no ambiguity or vacillation. Mr. Henderson re-stated Labor's position, emphasising its opposition to intervention in Russia, and he declared that the Allies' policy had strengthened reactionary efforts. He appealed to the Government to withdraw material support from Koltchak and Denikin. Colonel Ward pointed out that the Question of intervention or non-inter-Vention did not affect Britain alone.. He ♦aid that Koltchak was a democrat. ■- BOLSHEVISTS' NOTION OF FREEDOM. Replying, Mr. Lloyd George said that jie was glad the debate had shown that •11 were agreed as regards the horror of both the practice and principle of Bolshevism. It was undemocratic, and did pot represent freedom. He emphasised his statement by quoting from • Bolshevik proclamation stating: "We raised the standard of discipline in the army, and must now raise labor discipline." This provided that the Bolsheviks' notion of freedom for the workteg classes was compulsorv labor. The Premier defended" his Guildhall (Speech, describing Mr. W. C. Bullitt's (of £he American Mission) disclosures as a ""tissue of lies." It was, said the Premier, an obligation of honor to help the men who assisted to reconstruct the Eastern front Sgftinst Germany. We had fully discharged that obligation, but there were others of the Allies who were in a better position to support Koltchak than ourselves, and any failure there had been did not lie at our door. We had helped Denikin, and that policv was successful in the regions of the Don and Ukraine, which were aDti-Bolshevik, but it was clear that, whenever therr armies tuarched into central Russia bevond a tertain point, they fafled, though none tould say what central Russia wanted. AN OBLIGATION OF HONOR. \ Britain, however, could not finance fcivil war in Russia indefinitely. Our first concern was for our own country, where the shortest road to Bolshevism was financial bankruptcy. Britain fcad contributed more than any other iountry to anti-Bolsheviks. She had Contributed more than France, Japan, ftnd America combined. We boasted pf our action in this connection because It was to meet the obligation of honor. } France and Britain had come to a fcimilar view, namely, that the Government could not burden the taxraver furin respect to operations in Russia, ,■ jvhlch present difficulties. It was a |act that Koltchak and Denikin were Ighting for a re-united Russia, whereas Ssthonia, Latvia, and Lithuania wcr:: 1 ighting for independence, wst*' other j treat anti-Bolshevik forces were fightii-g or a local independent nationality. Therefore, it was most difficult to lav /flown a policy. He pointed out that f jfhose favoring, intervention in Russia opposed intervention in Armenia, and Jlce versa. RESPONSIBILITY REFUSED. Mr. Lloyd-George added further that IJermans were still in the Baltic provinces. They must be cleared out, otherwise the peace of Europe was unsafe. He asked who advocated the terrible responsibility for restoring order in the which was a continent in which *very nation and every armv which had interested itself hitherto had harvested disaster. He refused the responsibility. KCheers) Mr. Lloyd George concluded that Britain went to Russia for her own purposes, and thereby saved the lives of feerhaps hundreds of thousands of her town men. Our sole aim in going to (Russia was to save our men, and" we Jnade promises accordingly. Therefore we ought not now to repudiate them. ■ Captain Ormsby-Gore deplored the dewy in making peace with Tnrkev. He said |hat half the trouble in Egypt to-dav jras due to this continued delay Until definite statement was made as to Whether the Milner commission was or iras not going to Egypt the agitations there would continue. "If we do not intend to evacuate let us." he concluded, f'say so, and make it quite clear that we fntend to be masters there." Mr. Balfour commented upon the retnarkably small differences revealed as regards Russia. None had suggested a clear cut policy, although the Government was criticised for not possessing (me. THE POSITION IN THE EAST. Mr. Balfour pointed out that our diffi-' fulty in regard to Turkey was that we trere unable to say exactly what we deired to do there that would be unfair o our Allies. There must be a comma Allied policy. Nevertheless, it was t profound misfortune for all populaaons in the Near East that the Peace sonference had not settled their future. It was not Britain's fault, but was due » the fact that America had not given y clear lead of her own policy. Until f; was done it was impossible to lay n a common policy of all associated era, of which America was one of the t important. It was also true that prevailing Turkish unrest was doing nftaite harm, making it more difficult i ivery day to find a satisfactory solution. J Mr. Balfour emphatically said that there Was not a shadow of truth in the reiterated statement that Britain's military occupation of Syria meant that she KM going to remain dominant there. The difficulties before all the western mandatory powers of the Arabs we/a treat, but should not be exaggerated. The Arabs for the first time in centuries jiad played a great part in alliance with Ke Entente, and had especially shown emselres in close co-operation with British troops, faithful, brave, and efficient. The prestige of the Arab race had consequently greatly risen, and he fcad every reason to hope that there Jfroulcl he a resuscitation of the great jamb civilisation. ■ As far as the Anglo-French were eoe-

cerned theie could not be any rivalry in. Syria. "We earnestly hoped i hat in the friendliest' co-operation •with the foench and with the warmest regard fop our Arab allies to see all difficulties'solved." NO MISTAKE ABOUT EGYPT. Mr. Balfour said lie was absolutely' confident that the unhappy spirit of unrest in Egypt was produced by the war and would be brought to an end, especially seeing that Lord Allenby was in control of the situation and perfectly understood that the East was the birthplace of rumors, and was full of the strangest legends. Concerning the policy of His Majesty's Government, the Government's view" was that the three questions of Egypt, the Sudan, ana the Canal, formed an organic and indivisible ivhole. England in connection with th's Would not give up any of her responsibilities. (Cheers.) "British supremacy exists and the British supremacy is going to be maintained- (Cheers). Let none in or out of Egypt make any mistake on that cardinal principle of tha Government. Nevertheless we desire in every way possible to associate the Egyptian native population with the government of the country. *-he Government desired in all respects to promote the prosperity in Egypt. The country was disturbed by a certain amount of dissension and unrealisablo expectations, which, if fulfilled, would damage Britain, and would hurt mostly Lie Egyptian population. The Government unalterably adhere to its decision to send out the Milner commission of investigation. Until the commission's report was received, it would be folly to attempt to sketch projected legislation, but the population might rest assured that we desired to associate them as far as possible with the work of the administration, and that, unlike their Turkish masters, who in Egypt at the present moment affect to be proEgyptian, we shall steadily pursue the policy of amelioration, which has made Egypt an utterly different place for all the inhabitants, and mostly for the natives, compared with Turkish iiue These were principles which animated the Government in respect to the Middle East. "We recognise the complication and extraordinary difficulty of the task," Mr. Balfour concluded, "but Britain has undertaken other tasks no less difficult and brought them to a successful conclusion, and why should we despair?"