The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-08-23
THE BLOCKADE OF RUSSIA,
Is Not Avowed, but Is None the Less
Real

In his preliminary address TO the Sen
ate foreign relations committee Tuesday,
the president gave striking account Of
the economic loss which is being caused
in this country because the channels of
trade are barred by war when there is no
war" His immediate point was the need
of early ratification Of the treaty with
Germany, but much that he said applies
with equal force to the anomalous inter-
ruption Of trade with Russia He de-
clared:
eve cannot afford TO lose a single
summers day by not doing all that we
can to mitigate the winters suffering,
which unless we find means to prevent
it, may prove disastrous to large por-
tion of the world, and may, at its worst,
bring upon Europe conditions even more
terrible than those wrought by the war
itself"
For the mitigation Of the winters suf-
fering two things are essential, increased
production and free circulation. The
channels of trade cannot be opened to
anything like their full capacity till the
blockade of Russia is removed. 1t is an
unavowed blockade, but none the less a
real one. Russia's access TO the sea is
scanty enough at best, and now all the
ways are stopped. Even If the Russians
should push Kolchak across Siberia they
would find Japanese feet at Vladivos-
tok Even if they should regain Archan-
gel they would find the Arctic patrolled
by unoflicially hostile warships. At this
i moment, while it is protested in the
House of Commons that there is neither
war nor blockade, British fleet Is sink
ing Russian ships in the gulf Of Finland
and by one account bonlbarding kron-
stad
Thus is a nation Of s5000,000 people,
! in great need of what western countries
want TO sell and able to pay in what
Russia produces, cut off from the com.
MERGE of the world Putting politics
aside, and looking only at economic
needs, it can be seen that this continued
unofficial blockade is a terrible handicap
not merely to Russia but to the western
nations which are trying to get business
under way, yet are mortally afraid OF
importing goods There is no such fear
in Russia; its needs after five years OF
isolation are so great that il is ready &c
| buy on almost any terms, and in its vast
natural resources it has means of pay
ment which business men find satisfae.
tory The great Russian cooperative so
cieties, also which are non-partisan and
| flourish both in soviet and non-soviet
Russia, provide an agency through which
! business can be resumed without delay
The United States government is un.
! derstood to have held consistently to the
view that the blockade of Russia was
but an incident of the war with Germany
! and that when the war ended there was
no excuse for blockade. From Paris ii
has been reported that this view has
been pressed upon the peace conference
! by the American delegates, but thus far
no formal action has been announced
| Time presses, and, as Mr.. Wilson says
I'VE cannot afford to lose a single sum.
mer's day" Hardly any one thing would
do more to promote prosperity and to
mitigate the winters suffering than tC
| permit and aid the exchange of goods be-
| tween eastern Europe and the rest OF
| the world. Russia is not in such danger
as last year of starving, because it has a
| splendid wheat harvest and has gained
access to the rich grain fields of western
| Siberia But its needs are very great and
of sort which would make the opening
of trade stimulating to industry both in
Russia and in western countries, includ.
ing the United States. After year no.
body is able to explain why there should
be blockade, and no government dares
to admit that there is one. Under these
circumstances it seems clear that the
time has come to make freedom Of trade
fact. To continue the blockade of the
largest country in Europe would be a
grave responsibility Springfield Repub-
lican.