The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1920-02-26

| living in America Is due to shortage
Of production no more than to the
greed of the producers. For the
downward trend of foreign exchange
is putting n stop to the export of
American products to Europe, and
those who should know agree that
this is almost certain to result in a
decrease ia prices in this country.
The European importers cannot af-
ford to buy these products when ex-
change is SO much against them, and
there VIII be q 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 a 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 &C.
cept the peace offer of the soviet gov
eminent of Russia provided guaran-
tees were given that bolshevist> prop
uganda in Poland and other European
states would cease. POland's aim,
says Prince Lubomirski, minister to
the United States, is to serve as
peaceful and moral bulwark against
bolshevism, and for this she must
have the economic support Of the al
lies.
By the Russell sthonian peace
treaty the soviet government re-
nounces all sovereignty over Es-
thonia and recognizes it's independ-
ence. Both parties renounce claims
to compensation for war expendi-
lures. The treaty provides that pris-
oners will be repatriated shortly by
both. Russia is to pay Esthonia To-
100000 rubles in gold. There are to
be 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 in 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 Lenine
government because the return to
normal life in Russia will soon de-
stroy bolshevism.
When viscount Grey's letter to the
London Times, justifying the delay of
the senate in ratifying the peace
treaty and explaining to the British
the attitude of America toward world
affairs, was made public, 1t was at
once assumed chat 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 it
made clear that Great Britain and,
presumably, the other allied powers
would welcome the adhesion of Amer
lea even with the reservations. The
informal committee of the senate had
failed to reach compromise and
Hitchcock had given notice that he
would move to take up the treaty in
the open senate on February 10.
Lodge countered with the statement
that the Republicans would bring the
pact before the senate one day earlier.
AS the days passed with no comment
from the White House on the Grey
letter, however, hope for early ratifi-
cation faded, and toward the end of
the week it was widely reported in
Washington that the letter had an
gered the president and increased his
determination never to accept the
Lodge reservations or anything like
them. 1t was said Mr.. Wilson and
his firm adherents looked on Viscount
Grey's pronouncement as an unwar-
ranted attempt by the spokesman of
a foreign government to interfere in
the legislative affairs of this country.
Though it seemed the letter had per-
suaded many Democrats that it was
best to accept the reservations, it was
admitted that the president could
still rally sufficient number to pre-
vent ratification.