New-York tribune., 1919-10-09
The Pri1kipo Busiine.,
R. BULLITT purported to or. :,
(From The London 7im.o

which he and others had he,a "a'
the Prime Minister and with Mr p'n VIA
Kerr. The substance of them wa. '
MIR. Lloyd George intended to vat
favorable action upon the sov;s. '%
posai, that he had urged Mr.. Buu;.. @''
publish his report on Russian sFs;,.
that after Mr.. Lloyd George had nus,'. ~
denied that approaches had been r.sP P
the Bolshevists Mr. Kerr "apojoc;,.s
his chiefs action" This, Mr.. BnIl;,. 9'
clares. was "the most egregious c.. "
misleading the public ever known
elsewhere he reminds the commit,s. - '
they cannot take any of Mr.. Llovd e. "s
statements seriously" Mr.. Llovd Co.
answer is simple and unparliamentary
declares Mr. Bullitt's statement of the 49,
versations with himself and Mr.. Kerr ~
"a tissue of lies"
That is all very well as a general ,..,.
but the public viii expect il to be fo,S ~
by something more specific Mr. pru;.',
indeed. is not. on the face Of il. Wy
whose assertions can be accepted w,ho.
corroboration. By his own showing h. ~.
sent to Russia on highly confidential r.
sion, and the first OBJ igation of an ho.-
able man who undertakes such mission
any capacity is to respect The confdsr..
posed IN him. But it is certain that Mr. D.,
lit and Mr. Stcffens were sent 70 p,,.s:
and it IS hard 30 believe that N, H.,
George did not know great deal mora
about their mission than he affected ;.
know when he assured the House of o..
mons that 1--WE have had no approacbs. os
any kind. l have only heard of re,ox.
that others have got proposals which ,han
assume have come from authentic ou,,
ters"; and when he airily dismissed N.
"suggestion that there were some vo,n,
Americans who had come back" but who's,
communications never had been laid befo,
the conference Mr.. Lloyd Georee w.,
speaking by the card. and or strictly tee
nical lines he may have been justified !,
what he said. But explanations much mo,,
precise are required to meet definite allecs
tions Of the kind atfr buted TO Mr.. Bu,.
The broad facts about the unfortunate
Prinkipo business are we'll known NohoS
with ordinary information doubts ths, 8
great effort was made to induce The Allied
and associated governments to accrcd.
Bolshcvism directly or indirectly Nobodv
doubts that this effort was supported h,
powerful financial interests Of an nterpa
tlonal kind-the same sor, of Interests
which did their utmost In the fatefu july
and August days of 1914 to induce England
TO keep out Of the war and 10 ;il her pock
cts. The Bolshevists well knew who were
at the back Of the movement when they o.
fered as a condition of peace 70 recognize
the financial obligations OF the former Rus.
sian Empire.
Our own view on any bargain or any
dealings with Bolshevism has never wsY-
cred It Is now what it was when Mr.
Lloyd George declared that the government
and the House Of Commons "dis greed
Fundamentally with all the principles upor
which the present Russian exnlli ment /,
based" and declared starvation. bloodshet
ruin and horror to be among is result,
We hold. TOO, with the same authority tina
the world cannot be pac.fed while Russ;
is torn by civil war. No people AN topcf
this system, which is based upon the ruiz
Of historic civilization, without danger arr
without disgrace.
The Supreme Council. in PARIS have, how
ever. now arrived at the conclusion ths
"the British policy" OF evacuation must h
approved, and have declared Themselves Vi
terly opposed to any Russian adventures
They have definitely settled 70 nllow tn
Russian revoutionists 10 "sgork out the'
own salvation,' provided thst the new Rus
sia respects the rights Of her neishbors W
receive at the same time confirmation 0.
the news that one Of these ne ghbors-
Esthonia-feels compelled b. the lack o.
support" to enter into negotiations with the
Bolshevists, and that she expects mat othe'
small Baltic states. Lithuania and Letvir
will follow her example. The Suprems
Council have not "recognizei" the Bo.she-
visit government Mr. Lloyd George has de-
clared that the Bolshevist crimes make this
impossible. But they have come 70 decl'
sion which practically compe's the weas
Baltic states 70 recognize it. and they then
selves have apparently decided 20 treat the
evil which Mr. Wilson is denouncing on tn
Pacific Coast as the Vatican occasionally
treats other systems to which il obiects
They have determined that Ro shevisn, 50
long as It keeps within Russia, "tolersr
potest" We wonder for how long L will or
can fulfil this condition.