Daily Kennebec journal., 1919-04-23
Wednesday, April q, 1919.
eoIstsrina Up the eoIshsviki


eoIstsrins Up the eoIshsviki
The proposal of the Council of Four
TO feed Russia, on condition that the
bolsheviki stop fighting Is the first
signed document that has come from
their hand. In their letter addressed
to DR.. Fridtjof Nansen of Norway ihe
council authorizes him to head a COM
mittee of neutrals from his country
and Switzerland to send food and
medical supplies-from the United
pie. The only condition to which the
Russian people must agree l.; that the
practical questions Of transport and
distribution the letter says. can be
solved only by the people of Russia
themselves" and are put up to the
existing local governments of Rus
sia.'
The proposal is said to have orig
mated with Mr. Wilson some time
ago, and to have been turned down
by the other members of the council.
In some way they evidently were won
over to his way of thinking. and the
Nansen letter is the result. More
than merely the feeding of Russia it
means the recognition of the bolshe-
vik government: in other words it is
another attempt to achieve what the
notorious Prinkipo proposal was to
do had it been carried through.
Much has been written and said
about the lack Of Russian policy.
On the contrary Mr.. Wilson has pro-
ceeded since 1917 apparently as if he
we're willing and anxious to recognize
the Lenine government and make
terms with it. Mr.. Lloyd George told
the House of Commons that no pro-
posal had been made to recognize the
bolsheviki and that no discussion had
been held. Evidently he did not know
of the Steffens- Bullitt mission sent
by the American peace delegates to
see Lenine and secure from him some
kind of terms. The present plans for
feeding the Russians are manifestly
the outcome.
AS to the condition that the bolshe-
Wiki shall cease fighting. the Russian
people as whole have been trying
for many long weary months to bring
about this very thing, but without ap-
preciable success. How, then, can
they now guarantee it? More likely
it is Lenine himself who is asked to
guarantee it, although the letter to
Or. ,Nansen does not state anything
more than demand for "a cessation
Of hostilities within definite limits in
The territory Of Russia" Suppose
Lenine does agree to call o.. the boil
sheviki, and suppose he has sufficient
authority to do it.-about which point
thSiS 10 ISdSoudUlc uOuUt,-"n ndt
guarantees has the council Of four
that he will keep his promise? OF
That the bolsheviki will do as he tells
them? The leaders of the bolshevik
army from Trotzky down are a bad
lot-a gang Of Adventures and des-
peradoes made more desperate by
their success and intoxicated by their
exercise of authority
The existing local governments
are chiefly the soviets whose policy
hitherto has been determination of al
Russians outside Of their own class
il the matter Of distribution and
transportation j.; left TO them. they
will see to it that their armies are
fed on the best of American bread
and beef, and kept fit for carrying on
me bolshevlk crusade, while the res,
of Russia starves as before. Are the
American people ready TO pay in.
creased prices for food stuffs in orde.
that the bolsheviki may gorg. tn.m
selves at our expense?
if the proposal were to emove tn.
bolsheviki from power and t. jo. in.
representative Russians take contro
Of the situation we would gladly pa,
higher prices, for unt,l Russia is sta
bilized there can be ~ peace in tbs
world. Furthermore the sending O,
supplies would be for a shcr. Tim,
only. In 1913, the last year fol
which figures are available, Russia
produced nearly 5000. 900, 900 bushel.
OF cereals. by far larger amour
than was produced by any other land
At present millions of acres are un.
titled, and not enough is produced t,
supply current needs. The peasan
sees no use in sowing more tha,
enough for his own family. inasmuci
AS the paper rubles he receives To-
his goods have no value whateve
surplus he way accumulate he store,
in pits In the ground. carefully hid
den from marauding bolsheviki ban
dts. Until some responsible. trust
worthy government upon whose credi