Evening star., 1921-08-10
Editorial Digest
Another Plea for Russia.

Apparently the american press has
not changed it's editorial opinion con-
cerning the matter of our official
policy toward Russia any more than
Senator France has altered his con-
victions as result OF his recent visit
to the soviet republic. While the
senator's beliefs in the need of OPEN
ing trade relations preliminary 20
recognition have been Streng thened
| by his observations. the newspapers
opposed to this course consider that
| he is as i'll advised as ever In his con-
tentionS. \ few writer's DelltVe the
visit will have the effect of Fastening
/ rapprochement between the two coun-
tries.
The Manchester IN. H. Union ;in-
| dependent republican, says: HE fair
| ly broke his way into Russia by per-
! slstent effort and got his WiShed-for
| look at the facts-got it just when
| the overripe fruit OF miSrule was
| lying on the ground in the shape OF
| famine. But he had set his heart on
! finding favorable conditions in Rus
| sia, he believed they existed. the idea
| Things simply had TO be right where
| he expected them to be right"
| The Buffalo Express independent
! republican, states that as result of
his visit, "one of two things had to
: happen. Senator France either had to
see conditi lions which would bear out
| the speeches he had been making or
| Lc had to admit that those speeches
| were all wrong" the Knoxville SEN
| tinel independent democratic) finds
| the phenomenal feature of the SEN
! atorS story is that he could find moth
! ing radically wrong with Russia"
| The Utica Press independently thinks
| The senator is 'kndeaVorinS to justify
certain preconceived views while the
Minneapolis Tribune trepublican)
| IA =,
some preconceived notions" and
| leaves kussia with these notions
| confirmed. and with others that de-
veloped since he left home, among
| them that credit of a billion should
/ be extended to the soviet government
! as a means of com batting the present
| famine.
| The incident of Senator Frances
! charge against Col. Ryan of the Red
| Cross of assisting in the kronStadt
revolution would not command spe
| clai interest," says the Brooklyn
Eagle independent democratic), but
| for the important question OF Amer
! lcan reilct agencies operating in
| Russia No doubt the soviet govern
ment would welcome the Red Cross
| today, but Col. Ryan could not eX-
pect men h. denounces as murderers to
welcome him.. The New York Tribune
| trepubiican) thinks that Col. Ryan
| has no reason TO feel ashamed even
| il the charge is true for he can
plead that his sympathy for the poor
| Iii ssian peopl. led HIM to act
| lnt Hartford Daily Times tdemo-
| tic) thinks the senator's willing
! hess to be gulled by the soviet lead
| ers, his meek submission to the con-
ditlonS they insisted on ii he was TO
| entec the country have marked
| him as too willing dupc to make
| his pronouncements worthy of con-
| Slderatlon, while the Detroit Free
| Press independently comedies that he
! is Il man of ability and doubtless he
| has got some truth. He says that
| Russia is headed back toward capital
| ism a fact which is already known"
| The knoxville Journal and Tribune
| trepublican). while ii admits having
| previously pointed out the great con-
: fusion over reports from Russia and
also has stated frankly that it was
| to De doubted that affairs could be as
! bad as painted and yet continue so
| long thinks, however, that Senator
Frances visit was too brief to cover
subject so big as the investigation
OF the soviet government AT least
! 1t believes, he may have sufficient
weight to his views and proof to in
duce a more thorough investigation of
the subject by others
| The st. Louis Post-Dispatch (inde-
| pendent says: Senator France adds
his testimony to that of other wit
nesses that the reaction against COM
| muniSm has set in. but when the
senator tells us that Lenin and Trot-
1 sky accept this fact and are doing
nothing to obstruct it, and, therefore,
are to be commended for their patriot
ism. benevolence and conservatism, he
issues rather large order. That the
bolshevlst leaders are complying with
the peasants demand seems to be
well established. but that is all they
| can do"
The heart of Senator France" says
! the Memphis Commercial Appeal
| (democratic). seems to be much big
| ger than his vision is clear" and adds
that it will believe there is a new
! deal in Russia when there is new
set of dealers" The Chattanooga
Times Independent democratic) finds
! relief that his has been simply a
! personally conducted inquisition and
ficia! inquiry.
The Johnstown Democrat (demo-
cratic) sees a hope" that the sem
, ator's report may have a whole
some influence on public opinion,
which has been poisoned by a propa-
ganda as vicious as any that the war
has engendered." This hope" the
| indianapolis News independently be-
| lieves. will be realized. and goes so
| ing in the senator's favor.
AS to Senator Frances recon-
, mendation about the desira bility of
recognizing the soviet government,
the Des Moines Register Gndependent
republican, thinks it may have little
| effect one way or the other, but it is
| evident. regardless of that, that our
government has moved closer to the
! opening of relations"