The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1920-02-27
Our Washington News Letter
BY Paul w. Hanna.


WASHINGTON This city will
echo very promptly the decision res
pecting Russia which allied ambas-
sadors are expected to reach in Lon
den. The senate subcommittee which
is taking testimony on Russian pro-
paganda in America is now marking
time until the announcement for or
against friendly relations with Rus.
sia has been made.
The situation here is very simple.
Our official policy toward Russia is
IN the hands of the Democratic state
department. But the investigation OF
Russian propaganda is controlled by
the Republican senate. Between those
two branches Of the government there
is no love lost.
1t is confessed that the state de,
partment, by following the wobbly
course marked out in London and Pa.
fis.,, has got nowhere at all with re-
sDect to Russia. 1t has sent number
of american boys to be buried under
the Arctic Circle at Archangcl and
in the. SHOWS of Siberia, and congress,
which has declared no war against the
Russian people, is full of men who
condemn the adventure. Nobody de-
fends it any more.
The Republicans think there may
he lot ofspolitical capital to be made
out of the Russian muddle, but they
are not sure of their ground. They
suspect, with good reason, that the
allies led by Italy and England, are
about to make formal peace with the
soviet government. If that happens
our Democratic state department. will
be left high and dry with its anti
Bolshevik program.
And that would give the Republicans
; their chance. The senate subcommittee
would proceed to take testimony that
will expose the administration in
compentence, especially with respect
to its lending of more than 100000
900 Of American money 10 tls.s discre-
dited and Irresponsible Ambassador
Bshkmetieff, envoy Of the xfugitiye
'''ss 90 YAK g ~ = ~ Y 's s''
If the London cat Jumps towar
friendship with Russia, the senate vii
probably call ex-Sccretary Lansing a
a witness to explain many awkwar
things. And Secretary Baker, who ha
confessed on the witness stand tina
he turned over many millions of do
lars worth of war materials to Ko
chak. without any security except th
personal note of man in the BahE
metieff embassy" here. George Cree
Col. Raymond Robins, Edgar Sissio
and others have also been listed fo
subpoena.
On the other hand, if the smba.
sadors at London should issue stat,
ment hostile to the Russian govern
ment, and indicating the possibility 9
further war against it, the senate con
mittee will direct its animosity again,
Ludwig G. A. X. Martens, the sovi(
representative who is now its sts
witness. The notorious Lusk committo
New York, can supply enough sens
tional innuendo TO "justify" the d
portation of Martens. 1t will be see
that the Republican senate is in
position to win q lot of politics
publicity no matter whether the Ru
sian penny turns up heads or tails.
Good judges are Of the opinion cth
further war against Russia is impo
sible for the allied powers. As evel
newspaper proclaims, the big cris
facing western civilization is that
diminished production and impendiT
financial collapse. A war against Ru
sia or any other nation would certain
postpone a cure of the major evil, al
might hasten the feared disaster.
And japan Is obviously not goil
to play alone with the Russian fiji
Recent news is that an uprising
patriots mas wreeted the northern ha
Of Korea from Jap control. China
bitterly hostile to the Mikado al
will take advantage Of the first
cning to adjust the Asiatic balance
Ter favor,
Soviet Russia has returned all I
territory stolen by the czars frt
Persia, Afghanistan, and Mongol
whose peoples for the first time
two centuries, are free to concentra
their energies against encroachme
A from the west, sonth and east
,o against the imperialists Of Europe a
Jonnn