Evening star., 1918-08-09
By DAVID LAWRENCE.

Copyright. 1918, by New York Evening Post
Company
There is an element of humor in the
attitude which the Bolshevik govern
ment in Russia has decided to adopt
toward the allies Neutrality it seems
wecn scrupulously interpreted under
such topsy-turvey conditions as ex-
ist in Russia today demands a decla-
ration of a state of war against the
allies as well as Germany.
Not being able to maintain re1a-
tions Of absolute peace with the CEN
trail powers, the hair-splitting inter-
national lawyers of the soviet gov
ern,nent have determined that true
innpartfality calls for the adoption of
the same policy toward the other set
OF belligerents.
Puzzling Paradox. =
The soviet policy is a puzzling para
dox. Acting Secretary Frank L. Polk
of the eiDepartment of State read to-
day frbm a batch of cablegrams de-
;scribing the situationFin Moscow eight
days ago
Premier Lenine first declared in a
speech at an official public gathering
Of the soviets that a state of war ex-
listed between the Russian republic
anu tue dllcu powers. lne dlileQ
consuls who had been left behind by
the diplomatic representatives of the
entente promptly went to the bolshe-
vik foreign office to get an explana-
tion. They asked Foreign Minister
Tchitcherin if Lenine's speech was to
Estate of Defense"
The foreign minister naively replied
that IL mead ho
and that it was a state of defense"
rather than a state of war, and the
soviet government desired to continue
its relations with the allied powers, as
it did with Germany. under similar
circumstances"
The consuls reserved their comment
and asked that his statement be
made public Evidently they are
awaiting instructions before making
reply.
Our own officials here hardly knew
what to make of the soviet policy.
1t is quite possible that the soviets
; are anxious by their action to DEM
onstrate to Germany that they have
not silently acqdiesced in the steps
which the entente are taking in CO.
operation with the Czecho-Slovaks to
penetrate Russian territory.
High Sounding, Not Practical.
out tiiC hCwS lTOu IidHy Sl0eS
would seem to indicate that the dec
.larations Of policy from the soviet
are more hlgh-sounding than practi-
cal. and that the bolshevik movement
is daily losing cohesion. Allied troops,
for instance. landed at Omega, and.
while the bolshevik authorities asked
for explanations. the people welcomed
the entente forces. who captured the
island batteries at the mouth of the
river and the entrance to the harbor
on August 2. Allied airplanes then
circled over Archangel, dropping prop
aganda material. whereupon the
frightened bolsheviki evacuated, sail
ing upstream in houseboats.
The British. French and American
consuls were arrested by Caucasian
cavalry which had arrived to aid the
covering the lay of the land set up a
successful counter revolution. 1t
claimed that the consuls had been ar
rested in the first instance as a pro-
lection. and they were quickly re-
leased The consuls, however. had
taken no chances. burning their code
books as soon as the cavalry arrived
When the allied troops finally entered
the city they were greeted by the
blowing of whistles. cheers and flow-
ers.
New Government Forming.
No time was lost by the people in
organising a government, which will
cooperate with other councils and
state officials in other parts of Rus
sia in forming a national govern
ment. A proclamation of the organi-
zation of such a government was is
sued at Archangel and is being spread
throughout Russia.
1t calls for the appointment of a
commander-in-chief of Russian forces.
the arrest of soviet officials. selection
of commissions to re-establish state
and municipal government and ju-
dicfal tribunals and the restoration of
the freedom of the press. conscience,
meeting and speech. The co-opera-
tion of labor unions and workmens'
organizations is sought, but 1t is
aimed to denationalize financial and
Industrial Institutions
Archangel to Be Important Base.
The new government Is evidently
friendly to the allies, but it would not
make much headway, 1t would not
even dare to shew its head IL the peo-
pie were not auicably disposed toward
the United States and the entente. It
Is growing apparent that the region
fp the vicipifv nf ArrhanDaI ie 70 ho