Evening star., 1921-11-06
by OLIVER OWEN KUHN.
T AS the political leopard OF the
old world changed his spots?
Is the soviet government OF

SAN " oA III ShoA0So AAA~
Is the soviet government OF
Russia sincere in new and
far-reaching tenders for political
recognition by world powers. coupled
OF course, with an offer to recognize
the old czarist obligations?
Can any regime which has engaged
in murder, arson. rapine, has dis
emboweled a once great nation and
in the application OF false theories
of economic upbuilding ushered IN
an era of pestilence and starvation.
suddenly state to the world that it
Is a government that can be trusted
and then win support by the mere
saying so?
Are Lenin and Trotsky sincere in
protestations Of eagerness to resume
civilized relationships with the world?
Or
Are they merely enunciating new
International policies to obtain de-
sired recognition and in turn inf1l-
trate their seditious gospels OF an
archism and destruction. thereby
hoping to bring about the much
heralded sovietizaUon of the world. a
which they hope to govern all chris
tendon:
= !: X
These are questions that must be
weighed fully by any government in
listening to the beguiling statement
Of Foreign Minister Tchitcherin OF
Russia, who a week ago announced
United States. Great Britain. France.
Italy and Japan. would recognize the
soviet. the Moscow government would
engage IN the task of seeing to It that
all obligations owed to the world by
the czarist regime up to 1914 were
paid. He intimated that the powers
must help Russia in readjusting her
economic and financial systems In
order that payment be insured. and
he stated there must be previous
ment in which Russia's counter
claims must be considered by the
allies.
How far can the allies place cre-
dence upon The word ioss OF the snd 9oisast Saet
deeds are criterion for future action,
then the Moscow regime may be ex-
pected to resort to many OF the das-
fardly practices it has pursued in seek
ing to undermine the living Russia. for
the sake of experimenting with political
heresies and strive to perpetuate hcl-
sheyist theories. will, consequent politi-
cal and revolutionary upheavaiS IN every
section Of the world. II 1t still IS the
DOlSnSV1St regime Ol Oius tHS dihSo WooAd
do we'll in ignoring the far. cry that has
come from Moscow.
x X = x
But there enters into the situation
q new development. and this is the
apparently we'll credited theory that
the soviet leaders. not being entirely
fools even though clinEing to fanciful
doctrines, have been convinced,
, through famine. disease and abject
misery throughout Russia. that their
fheoriss- Of operating a government
has confessed that the soviet regime
has. been incapable of wrestling with
the multitudinous economic questions
that have confronted the government
cord with the outside world. Russia.
for the. lack OF things the outside
world could give her. has slipped.
slipped down to the bottommost runes
Of despair. and the soviet leaders. un-
doubtedly wishing to perpetuate some
ready to turn to the outside world.
agree that after all their tenets OF
faith are in a measure false-at least
recognize that all principles upon
which other nations are founded are
at least not unsound.
Russia needs the outside world.
Also. Tchitcherin's remark that the
outside world needs Russia if greater
equilibrium economically and finan-
cially is obtained is wholly true.
The powers long have recognized
the need Of going Russia. They
have stood aloof during the four
years of bolshevik government. first
of all because they have feared in
filtration of bolshevik tendencies dur
ing the decidedly disorsanized period
following the close Of the war.
x x =
The soviet regime early in the day
blatantly announced the abrogation
Of all Of the cZarist debts. This in
nowise pleased France. where nearly
$4,000, 100000 francs was furnished
to the old Russian government. These
francs did not come from great hnan-
cial institutions. The humble French
peasant. scattered from Brittany to
Nice. and from Bordeaux to the east
ern frontier, early learned to believe
that Russian securities We're Of the
best-and they once were. Conse-
ousntly there was a flow of hard
earned peasant francs into the large
banks Of France which were handling