New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-03-23
Isolated Russia
Resumption of Trade Misks
Bring Her to Reason

10 Ine EdltOr or ne tribune.
Sir: When Robespierre and Rour
seau were in the height Of their fana.
cism and all France was crineinr N
derneath La Gullotine in the days o,
the Reign of Terror, no man in Eurcp|
dared to speak a good word for tkl
leaders of that saturnala of misguided
liberty. Instead. men whispered Of III
ternational alliances TO crush TIL
springing up of mob rule, and "Scarl|
PimperneP movements were ORGANIZED
to aid the suffering nobility Of I'd
French nation.
When the autocratic regime Of Cal
Nicholas II of Russia was overthrow
in 1917, for moment people smile:
and looked toward Russia with that q
pectancy which citizens Of time.hono.t
democracies might assume toward III.
new arrival-the latest adherent .S
the cause of world wide democracy
The next instant the smile had change
to an expression of horror, DISCUS
and fear. for the Bolsheviki had OBJ
tanned control, and a strange type OF
misunderstood idealism was aboa. to
be put into force.
For more than two years this abh''
renee has marked the American att
tude toward Soviet Russia, and It U
only within the last few weeks thai
with the same sudden shift that tu-
ropean opinion took toward the Frenen
Republic, the American press has II
general begun to acknowledge merit ID
what was evidently highly imprsssl
cal ideal, but still an ideal.
What the official attitude Of enlisis
ened American statecraft shall ~
toward the Russian problem is one o.
the most urgent questions now faans
US. The man who discovers the cor
rect solution will prove himself true
statesman in the eyes OF the American
people, party politics notwithstand'ns
Shall we attempt to resume tla''
relations with the Russian coopera'"'
societies without recognizing the ~
Wet government The iDconslsleH''
of this attitude may be readily see'
Shall We, then, recognize the oo'''
government? This at once implies -
admission that Bolshevism is ies'"
mate political creed. Or snah '.
simply remain in the same position
which we are to-day-that OF uhq'''
fed disapproval Again we are "
against the problem Of feeding hu''f
without aid from Russia and the PRIV
lem of an economically disorgan'ss'
world.
At first glance i. looks like qus'
ton of taking the least Of three e''.,
and the least of these seems "
recognition of the Soviet goverhn'.,
On further consideration, this rec0s
ton might not prove an evil w. ).
would open the channels OF 'fs''
Russia; outside influence would r
meate the country; above sA' !,
people would be acquiring sna''
the worlds goods. :.
As long as we have dlflefeA '.,.
the minds and activity Of indis'os
just so long must we have dinsis'sa
IN the social rank of individuals -
Russia is no exception 10 the 's =,
Isolated from the world, Russ's -,
been able to cling to its cOm'uh,.
tendency longer than any othe' he
lar Utopia-if starving Russia ~. IAN.
compared to More's idealistic e0I .ms
tion-but at least it is bound " .;,r
back to the fold of common nu'A
and a world of practical facts -.
The time is ripe for dehh''s ....
preston of policy on the Russian q.
ton. The correct Interpretation 0, ..,ts
ideals Of American demoeraeS IN,
respect to this policy is OF Pa's ia:
Importance to the political par, :.
wishes to enter the lists in the ~,
dental campaign of 1920 with an'. -.
white cha!k-mark on its slate o. Pa
eign relations. HOWARD T. 'oS1
New York. March-1A.,1a2A -