Evening star., 1921-06-05
THE STORY THE WEEK HAS TOLD

months. notice for abrogation thereafter. the
government would contribute f10.080.000
to ease the fall of wages to levels correspond
ing with the cost of living Mr.. Lloyd George
expected the owners to further ease the fall
by foregoing profits for the present. as they had
already offered to do. The committees decided
not to answer at once; to consult their con-
stituencies The report got abroad that Mr.:
Lloyd Georges attitude was minatery. That he
threatened compulsory arbitration Mr. Lloyd
George AYERS that he neither said nor meant any
such thing. But the report reached the miners.
and they refused to be disabused. They are
more hostile than ever. Every mining district
rejected the governments g proposals. The dead
lock continues.
4 X II Il
Meanwhile the railwaymen and transport
workers have formally .disinterested" them
selves. Their committees have revoked the
orders not to handle imported "biackles'
coal They decided that such action did the
miners no good and themselves a great deal of
HARM Meanwhile. also. British railway and
power companies are converting coal burners
into oil burners. The which brings up that
question of OIL which is looming ever larger,
like an Arabian djinn. All the exeroisms of
foreign Offices cannot avail to get that djinn
back into his bottle.
The reader Is doubtless following the Djambi
oil correspondence between our government and
that Of the Netherlands; the matter In contro-
versy furnishes a pretty test case for cur policy
VI COmpicto FeCipT0City ana no QlScrlulndtl0u
against American nationals.
+ + Il
RUSSlA-Recent reports. which am unable
to appraise with any confidence. give out the
following: That strikes and other evidences of
disaffection are increasing in Petrograd. some
blood having been shed in fighting between
workers and red troops. that anti-bolshevist
revolts in kuban and Daghestan (northern
Causasus) are successful, red troops joining the
insurgents; that western Siberia has been prac-
tically cleared of red troops, most Of which
have retired to the Urals. Some reports say
that Lenin's lifting Of trade restrictions has not
materially eased the food situation, tho peas
ants refusing to sell grain. and Moscow and
Petrograd being on the verge of starvation.
Other reports aver that. though confusion fol-
lowed abolition of requisition of grain and food
distribution now a brisk petty trade in food
and other necessares has sprung up in Moscow
reminding Of the middle ages, while Petro-
grads distress has been relieved by importa-
tions.
&* ~
EASTERN SIBERIA-I confess that / am
moving. as It were. through a brown wood"
that need guidance: but. guide appearing,
I shall feel my way best can through the
Siberian murk:
1t will be recalled how some months ago,
after sundry victssitudes. the far eastern re-
public seemed at least established a firm
conservatve-liberal basis. under a constitution
closely modelled after our We were told
that government and legislature were truly
representatives of population at least 70 per
cent bourgeois" The communists had ac-
knowedged defeat and professed loyalty to the
majority program The government ad-
vertised itself white. invited inspection, made
overtures to the great bourgeois governments.
Especially did 1t desire recognition and a mode
rate loan from the United States. But some
how things have gone badly with the Chita
government (for Chita is the capitaD. Perhaps
the members of government were not happily
chosen. Perhaps the reds repented of their
remuneration. and renewed agitation. Perhaps
time discovered that great many classed as
whites were really what are called moderate
socialists. an Amoebc tribe with vague aspira-
tions.
Perhaps. as one often hears mot the Japa-
nese government, but), the Japanese nilitarists
have secretly encouraged movements and ten
denotes hostile to Chita. finding their account
in conditions which might seem to justify re-
tention in Siberia Of the Japanese troops now
there, and even an extension Of the area Of oc-