, 1921-08-18
AND NOW COMES RUSSIA

WASHINGTON, Aug. l5.-"Hav-
ing saved western and central
Europe with billions of loans and the
gift OF hundreds OF millions in food
stuffs and other supplies. while
those people remained in compare
tive idleness and the highest OF
prices prevailed in our own country.
we are now to repeat the process
with Russia. II reports are no. mis-
leading" says the Republican Pub
licity Association. through its Pres
ident. Hon. Jonathan Bourne, Jr.
Senator France has spent a few
days in Russia as the guest OF the
WINGED that a loan Of about $4,000
900 900 from the American Treasury
will put the Russians on their feet
again and enable the Russian gov
eminent to demonstrate II continued
ability to function. From another
source we are informed hat under
certain conditions America will send
foodstuffs to Russia to tide the
people through a winter made DESC
late by a miserable government and
an unusual drought. The condition
Is that the Russian government re-
lease a few Americans who were
foolish enough to enter that country
and tempt fate.
"Why is 1t that the United States
must fly to the aid OF every
try Of the Old World that insists on
destroying its substance by rushing
| recklessly into war or experimenting
with forms Of government that cen
turtles Of experience have demon
I strated always bring ruin In their
wake? The World War and its dis
tressing aftermath was due solely to
the refusal Of the people OF Europe
to assert themselves and proclaim
freedom from self-appointed rulers
who sought t exploit their subjects
for personal Qualification. The situa-
ton in Russia can be blamed only
on the absurd government that pre-
vented the people from accommodating
! q surplus to tide them over unusual
weather conditions that have prevail
ed this summer.
"There may have been some salts
faction in extending reconstruction
aid to central Europe. as the peoples
of those countries were IN the throes
Of breaking away from their tradi-
tional rulers and setting up govern
ments of their own. There vas some
prospect that, once relieved of their
present distress. they would see to 1t
that unprovoked war did not come
again and that they would busy
themselves with peaceful pursuits.
But in Russia there Is no suggestion
Of a change in government. Senator
France expresses the conviction that
the soviets are merely passing
through a process of logical evolu-
ton; in fact, the four billion loan
that he proposes is to be made to
that very government to enable 1t to
keep its hold on the country. The
Russian people have been impover-
ished while the Russian government
has made war upon about every ma
ton within reach, and carried Its
communistic propaganda and SEM Its
agents of revolution into every Gown.
try in the world. A loan from Amer
lea would be nothing less than q
reimbursement to Russia for money
and supplies expended in that way
and doubtless much of it would be
spent to continue those programs Of
bloodshed 1T home and organized
discomfort abroad.
HAS anybody estimated the cos
to the allies and t o the United State:
of Russia's detection during the war?
It is quite possible that the wal
would have ended without the en-,
trance of this country had not the
soviet government compelled the
withdrawal of Russia and the United
States might have been saved the ex-
penditure of $4,000 lives and $50
900, OOO, 900. Now We are asked to
p%erpetuate that same government
with huge loans OF cash and enor-
nous gifts of foods and supplies? 1t
is too much for w American altru-
ism.
THE United States demonstrated
its affection for the Russian people
in the dread famine of 1891 when
millions were saved from death by
food sent them from America. We
are ready to repeat that contribution
but one Of the conditions thereto
should be that the soviet armies be
disbanded. the soldiers returned to
productive occupations, and a stop
put to the requisitioning of food
supplies 10 continue wal against the