Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-11
Kate by Mail-Payable in Advance.
Maryland and Virginia.
Two Announcements on Russia.

Two important chapters in the his
tory of the world in relation to Rus
STA and Poland were written yester-
day, when Secretary Colby, for the
government of the United States, an
nounced the policy of America and
Premier Lloyd George, in the British
house of commons, stated that of
Great Britain. Though differing in
details these two pronouncements are
harmonious with regard to the need
and justice of maintaining Poland.
The British position respecting the
recognition of Russia as now organ
lied is not clearly defined. That of
the United States, as stated in Sec
rotary Colby's letter to the Italian
ambassador is specifically announced.
Great Britain is in the course of GER
tain negotiations with the soviet at
Moscow, the official Russian govern
ment, with regard to armistice terms
for Poland. The United States, de-
claring the utmost friendlness and re-
gard for the Russian people, for
RUSSIA states in the plainest terms
its refusal to recognize or enter into
relations with the organization now
claiming to represent those people
through a tyranny of rule that has no
IN ba Will nf
the majority of Russians.
Distinction is made in the Secre-
tary's letter between the people and
the government of Russia in terms
that permit no misunderstanding. Ac
eusation is brought against the gov
eminent at Moscow that it is founded
in bad faith, that it has explicitly de-
clared its purpose not to respect its
agreements; that it boastingly avows
its refusal to keep faith with non
bolshevik governments, and that it
proposes to conduct world wide cam
paign for the bolshevizing of all other
countries. On this basis the United
States refuses to deal with or to recog-
nize that organization, and trusts to
the Russian people to throw off this
yoke of despotism and to assert their
freedom.
For an undiminished Russia the
United States now pleads, excepting
only from the rule of non partition for
which it contends ethnie Poland, Fin
land and that part of Armenia that
was formerly under Russian control
This proposition leaves as Russian the
areas that have asserted independ-
ence, such as Lithuania, Esthonia, Let
via, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Apart
from any difficulty of distinction, the
policy is stated with such definition as
to leave it clear that the United States
proposes firmly to withhold recognition
from states that have been carved
from what the United States regards
as strictly Russian territory.
In stating the British position Pre-
mier Lloyd George blames Poland for
precipitating the crisis, but declares
that while she must rely N this ex-
tremIty chiefly upon herself, her sub
jugation would be menace to the
whole of Europe and reveal the red
republic of Russia as an imperialistic
and militarist power. This means that
Poland cannot look to the allies for
military aid, but that the checking of
Russia must be accomplished by other
means. Blockade is indicated as one
of these. Negotiation for terms of
adjustment is another. Whether ne
gotiation will involve definite or i'm
piled recognition of the bolshevik
government does not clearly appear in
any part of the British premier's
speech. 1t was fortunate that he did
not 60 so far, for in the light of the
explicit statement of the American
refusal of recognition declaration in
London of willingness would have in
Dictated radical difference of policy
between two of the chief members of
the entente that fought against Ger
many.
1t is to be assumed that the British
premier spoke yesterday in commons
with full knowledge of the policy of
the United States, as expressed in
Secretary Colby's letter, which was
made public almost simultaneously
with that deliverance, and that there
is no essential difference between the
two governments.