The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-08-11


 speaking with the approval and cqPsent of Presddent Wilson, said the United States took "nO ex- ception' to the efforts to arrange an armistice between Poland and Russia and would ~regard with satisfnction' declaration by the allied and associated powers that the territorial integrity and true boundaries, of Russia would be re- spected.
 The government flatly stated, how ever, that it would not, "at least for the present." participate in any plan for the expansion of the armisticel nego- tiations into central European con- ference because it would in all prob- ability involve two results from which the United States Strongly recoils."
 ''The, recognition of the bolshe- vist regime.
 A settlement of RussianS prob Iems almost inevitably upon the sbasis of dismemberment of Rus- 'sia..
 The note was in response to an agreeable intimation' from the Italian ambassador that his government would welcome statement of the views of the American government on the Polish situation.
 REVEALED SECRETS
 Much of it was devoted to a state
 
 United States toward the Russian peo- pie. In reviewing past events as evil dence of this sympathy, the Secretary of State disclosed some hitherto diplo- matic secrets 4
 MT. Colby intimated that the Amer ican government had withheld its ap- prova1 from the decision of the su- preme council at Paris recognizing the independence of the "so called repub lies" of Georgia and Azerbaijan, be- cause part of them were carved out of the old Russian empire.
 1t also was stated that the United States had taken the posi- tion that the final determination of the boundaries of Armenia, which the President has been asked by the allies to fix, "must not be made withort Russia's co-opera- tfon and agreement.
 It was further disclosed that the United States had persistently refused to recognize the Baltic states with the exception of Finland. a once independ- ent nation. because it held that they were rightly a part of Russia and that the territory embraced in them should be held for the Russian people until they could have organized a stable government. We are unwilling" the note de- clared. that while it (Russia) is help less in the grip of a non-representative government whose only sanction is brutal force, Russia shall be weakened still further by policy of dismem- berment, conceived in other than Rus sian interests" Secretary Colbys statement of the attitude of the American government, in the face of the threatened over throw of Poland by the Russian bo:- sheviki was unequivocaL He declared the people of the United States were earnestly solicitous" for the mainte- nance of Polands territorial integrity and political independence.
 POSITION FIXED
 From this attitude we will not de- part" he announced, land the policy of this government will be directed to the employment of all available means to render it effectual."
 PflIage and oppression of the Poles, he later declared, would re- move Russia wholly from out of .sthe pale of the friendly interests 7 of other natiOns.o
 The Secretary's note was accepted generally as evidence that the United States and Great Britain and France were as one in. a determination to pre- vent the absorbing of the new repub- lie into soviet Russia. Great Britain's views on this subject were outlined today in the British House off Com 
 There apparently, however was a difference as between the views of the British and American governments on the questions of dealing with the soviet and preservation of the true boundaries of the former Russian empire.
 Informal exchanges between Wash ington and London and Paris on the Russian-Polish situation have been proceeding for some days, and the fact that the American note was addressed to-tne Italian ambassador created some surprise in Washington. Mir. Lloyd George had announced to the House of Commons only today that inquiry sure ly would be made as to the position of the American government. To this was added the fact that Italy had not taken a prominent part in the allied discus sions of the question and had. not been represented at the Hythe conference of allied premiers, at which policy was outlined
 OPEN INFERENCE
 Tho American note did not go into details as to the available means'' which might be employed in protecting the independence of Poland, and there was no information as to the views of the United States government on the blockade decided on at Hythe. Like wise. there was only an implied re- sponse to Poland's request for a declaration of the moral support" of the United States in thp fight against the soviet.f t
 In declaring the complete sympathy of the United States with the Russian people, Mir Colby in his note denounced the soviet leaders. His language was compared with that contained in the proposal of the then Secretary Lansing to the nations of the world two years ago that the Russian bolsheviki be de- clared international outlaws.
 ~We cannot" Mir. Colby said, t>Fecognixe. hold official relations with. oF give friendly reception to the aGtnts of government which is determined and bound ts con- spiFe against oar institutions, Whose diplomats will he the aelta- tors of dangerous revolts, whose sp0kesmen say that they sign agreements with no intention of keeping them--
 Mir. Colby made it clear that the refusal of the United States to recog- nixe. the present rulers of Russia had
 ff.@.ts-,~S = p.~e rh.n>A