The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-01-17
Allies Have Adopted Complete
ly New Attitude Toward
Soviet Government OF
the North.
NO MILITARY ACTION
Action Of Supreme Council Constl-
tutes Direct About Face IN Opfn-
lon Of Political OBJ
servers.
[By Henry Wood. United Press Starr
CORRESPONDENTS

by fcuIy w OCu, OlltSd L ASo' SS>NA~
Correspondent
PARIS, Jan. 1.-THE allies today
apparently have adopted complete
| ly new attitude toward Russia
The supreme council announced
last night in an official communtque
that the blockade against Russia
would be lifted at once. The coun-
ellis action, in the view OF many po-
| litical observers, constituted direct
about face from its former policy
The council has decided, according
| to the communique, to give the Rus-
sian cooperative societies faclllties
necessary to permit importation ana
distribution OF merchandise, as Weii
as cereals, linseed oil, wood ana
other Russian products.
The announcer followed rumors
here that the allied leaders were pre-
pairing new active military measures
against the bolsheviki. Both London
and Paris observers had believed
that in view OF the recent bolsheVlh
military successes, which were ad-
mitted to have menaced British 1nrlu.
ence in Asia, the new policy would
| be even more severe than before,
possibly combining military action
4 Win inc DlOckdOe. .
Instead came news of the lifting Of
| the Russian trade ban.
! In some quarters it was believed
! the new policy does not mean any
changes in the allied attitude toward
! the soviet government. The allieu
! leaders, it was pointed out, may nope
| to deal with the great cooperative
societies directly, ignoring the gov
ernment.
/. Some. observers even believed it
may indicate an attempt to divorce
: the Russian people from their rad
| ical leaders, but the general opinion
! was that the power of Lenine and
| Trotsky Is too strong to be shaken
by any such move as lifting of the
blockade.
Defensive Position.
| WASHINGTON, Jan. 17.--Adoption
| by the allied governments of a purely
defensive position against soviet Rus
STA was foreshadowed today by two
| important developments in the Rus
sian situation in the past few hours,
officials here believed.
These developments, which We're
announced by the state department
were:
First-The supreme council at
Paris decided yesterday that the al
lied blockade OF interior or soviet
Russia would be lifted Immediately to
permit the exchange of supplies be
tween the Russian people and the al
lied and neutral countries, which, how
ever, is to imply no change in the
policy of the allied governments in
10 in OF "a hnlShovilS
ment.
Second-In a note to the Japanese
government the state department an
nounced the entire American force in
Siberia nearly 1000 troops, would be
withdrawn Immediately after depar-
lture of the first big contingent Of
ICZecho-Slovaks about the first of Feb
,ruary.
The American railway commission
under John +. Stevens which has
been supervising operation OF the
ltrans-Siberian and Chinese eastern
railways will be withdrawn smultan'
Ieously with the troops.
| The action of the supreme council
was believed here to be the first step
lin the shaping of new definite Rus
isian policy by the conference of allied
Headers now in session in Paris.
| That this policy will develop to be
IA purely defensive one against the Dol
sheviki was indicated by the lifting
lof the blockade which it was believed
will give interior Russia a free reign
finally to accept or reject bolshevism
Eunhampered in the decision by great
Shortages of necessities.
| The lifting Of the blockade also was
! regarded by officials here as pro
pitious political move by the princi-
pal allied powers. ....M
1 In Great Britain, France and Italy
there has been a wide spread agita-
ton by the radicals against the block
| ade of soviet Russia