Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1920-02-12

living in America is due to shortage
of production no more than to the
greed of tile producers. For the
downward trend ofs;torNgn exchange
is putting stop tS II export of
products 10 Europe, and
those who should kHbw agree that
this is almost certaiI to result in a
decrease in prices ii this country.
The European impofterh cannot af-
ford to buy these products when ex-
change is so much against them, and
there will be a backing up" in all
lines of goods. which will be thrown
on the American market. This move
ment already is under way. Prices of
grains and other commodities declined
considerably last week, and in the
case of grains the drop was helped
on by the action Of the railway adj
ministration which placed ten-day
embargo on the use of freight cars
for the shipment of anything except
grain, wood pulp or sugar in the Mis-
sissippi valley states. This was done
to provide the farmers with cars with
which to send their crops to market,
relieving the artificial shortage and
releasing immense funds.
Dispatches from Warsaw made 1t
plain that Poland was ABOUT to ac-
cepf the pc9ce offer of The EeSiet gov
ernment of Russia provided guaran-
tees We're given that bolsheyist prop
aganda in Poland and other European
states would cease Poland's aim,
says Prince Lubolnirski. minister TO
the United States. is to serve as a
peaceful and moral bulwar; against
bolshevism, and for this she must
have the economic support of the al
lies.
By the Russo -Esthonian peace
treaty the soviet government re-
nounces all sovereignty over Es-
thonia and recognizes its independ-
ence. Both parties renounce claims
to compensation for war eXpendi-
lures. The treaty provides that priS-
oners will he repatl.iated shortly by
both. Russia is to pay Esthonia 49,
100000 rubles in gold. There are to
he no customs or transit charges on
goods by either country.
The soviet armies met with some
reverses last week. notably one in the
region of the Don where the best of
the bolshevik cavalry was routed by
the Russian volunteer forces. In gen
eral, however. the soviet forward
movement was continued on all fronts
A local revolution i'm Vladivostok put
that city in the hands of the rebels
In England and probably elsewhere
the opinion is gaining strength that
peace should be made with the Lenlnc
government because The return to
normal life in Russia will soon de
stroy bolsheviSm.
When Niscount Grey's letter to the
London Times, juslfying the delay OF
the senate in ratifying the peace
Treaty anu W. tilI III lllNi
the attitude of America toward worl(
affairs. was made public, it was al
once assumed that acceptance of The
pact by the senate, with the Lodge
reservations little modified, would
soon follow. Both sides admitted
that the Grey letter had knocked i'm
portant props from under the opposi
tion to the Lodge program, In that i
made clear that Great Britain and
presumably, the other allied power.
would welcome the adhesion of Amer
lea even with the reservations. Tht
informal committee of the senate hat
failed to reach Il compromise AM
Hitchcock had given notice that h,
the open senate on February 1C
Lodge countered with the statemen
that the Republicans would bring tn
pact before the senate one day earlier
AS the days passed with no commen
from the White House on the Gre,
letter. however hope for early ratifi
cation faded, and toward the end o
the week it was widely reported Ii
Washington that the letter had an
gered the president and increased hi
determination never to accept TIL
Lodge reservations or anything lik
them. 1t was said Mr.. Wilson an
his firm adherents looked on Viscoun
Grey's pronouncement as an unwal
ranted attempt by the spokesman q
foreign government to Interfere I
the legislative affairs of this countr,
Though it seemed the letter had pei
suaded many Democrats that 1t wa
best to accept the reservations it wa
admitted that tlse president couI
! still rally sufficient number to pre-
vent ratification.