TRADE TREATY.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 March 1921, Page 5

TRADE TREATY.

AGREEMENT WITH RUSSIA. fROPER IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES. BOLSHEVISM WANING. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received March 23, 8.5 p.m. London, March 23. The trade agreement between Britain and Russia was explained by the Premier in, the House of Commons. Mr. Lloyd George pointed out that the Soviet was the de facto Government —that could not be denied. It exercised as complete a control in Russia as any Government could under the present circumstances. The agreement was not a peace treaty. He gave an emphatic assurance that Britain intended to press the claims of British nationals under the agreement for injuries. He ridiculed the idea that the trading community was opposed to the agreement: on the contrary they had incorporated their views. He believed they, on the whole, considered the agreement the right thing in the circumFtances. The Premier added: ‘•'You cannot rule cut the vast Russian territories by saying ring down the safety curtain and let the fire burn out. We depend on Russia and she on us.” He saw a change in Russia from wild Communism, but recognition of the Soviet system ■was impossible. There was evidence of & clear change in the attitude of the Bolshevik Government towards capitalism, private enterprise, Communism, and even nationalisation. The British Trade Union Congress would not have listened to some of Lenin’s recent speeches, some of which might be described as an antidote for the Labor propaganda. He never doubtfed but that Lenin and the other leaders were able men, and their ability was (proved by their willingness to abandon their earlier doctrines. He appealed to the Labor Party to follow their ex-ample.—Aus.-X.Z Cable Assn.

APPEAL TO AMERICA. SOVIET REQUESTS TRADING. OFFER TO SEND DELEGATES. Received March 23, 11.55 p.m. New York, March 22. The New York Times* Washington Correspondent telegraphs that President (Harding has received a direct appeal tfrom the Moscow regime asking for the resumption of trade relations. The •(Soviet proposes to send a delegation to the United Spates to negotiate a comjnercial agreement. President Harding has sent a message to the State Department, where it is being considered, but no statement is authorised concerning the United States’ probable action. The appeal has not created surprise, it was expected the signing of the tejjglo-Russian agreement would be followed immediately by a vigorous drive in the United States to force recognition of the Bolshevik Government. It Was formerly believed that unless President Harding and Mr. C. E. Hughes for State) were prepared to igomplefely reverse ex-President Wilson’s Russian policy, which is now considered extremely unlikely, they must iflatly reject the Moscow overtures. It is also difficult to believe that the United States Government will receive )& Moscow delegation so soon after deporting M. Martens (the Soviet “Ambassador*’) on the ground that his presence was illegal as the representative ©f an organisation planning to overjthrow and destroy the American Government. Several American newspapers recently published European despatches stating that Lenin, addressing a Communistic congress at Moscow, Confessed that the Communistic experiment in Russia was a failure and without aid from capitalistic nations Russia leould not exist. His appeal to President Harding is said to give color to ,%kis rumor.— Aug.-N.Z. Cable Assn.