The New York herald., 1921-03-25
FRIDAY. MARCH 25, 1921.
A Heap of Asnes.

TO the world last week the unexpected
information that LENINE had told his
Communist Congress, and his Commu-
mist Congress had assented, that he
had decided his Russian Soviet system
must be repudiated and abandoned,
governments statesmen, newspapers.
publicists, bankers and international
traders waited in bewildered uncer-
tainty for confirmation Of the astound-
ing news.
To them all 1t seemed unthinkable
that the Communist fanatic and Boil
sheyst butcher was going 10 mend his
brutal and bloody ways-was going,
in his own words, to "become almost
respectable" that to the peasant
farmer who had been stripped of
everything would be given back his
lands; that he would merely pay
taxes like other human beings from
the fruit of his toll; that artisans
would be freed from their indus
trial bondage and permitted TO work
for their own gain; that private
enterprises would be licensed to do
business for themselves: that there
would be no further inflexible state
control of the food supply through
which a nation had been held in sub
lection 10 the Soviet rulers by the
necessities Of its belly-that even cap
italism-foreign apitalism-would be
invited to come into Russia and op-
crate there under treaty contracts
and Soviet guarantees'
Now on this Good Friday Of Chris
tendon. after cables have sputtered
thousands Of confirmatory words,
Prime Ministers have made LENINE' 5
new policy an issue overshadowing
for the time being the German repair
atlons breach and the business and
financial leaders Of three continents
are agog with the economic possi-
bilities Of the Russian sensation, there
is nobody that doubts, not perhaps
the change OF LENINE's heart but the
change of his methods, not perhaps
the reformation of the ideals of his
looting ana murderous tyranny but
the reshaplng Of its course under the
inexorable law Of necessity.
For the Soviet system of LENINE
and his coadiutors IN tyranny has left
Russia a heap Of ashes; and these
absolute rulers Of the greatest single
population Of Europe, cunning in their
motives az they have been merciless
In their deeds, and opportune In their
policies AS they have been lmpIacable
in their ambitions, know there Is moth
ing Of profit or Of glamour left for
them in a national heap Of ashes
With condition. then. and not a
iheory suddenly confronting the ma
tions Of civilization, they accept both
its realities and It's possibilities with
an alacrity which dazes many hum
drum mind. DAVID LLOYD GEORGE, as
agile In his political movements as
any man that ever headed a govern
ment, and In his opportunism the peer
II LENINE himself, does not lose a
minute In looking after the interests
Of his country. ever with its eve on
the main chance. The only thing foe
Britain to do. he informs the House
Of Commons. was to make the much
discussed trade agreement with LIZ
NINE. as he did make it. and get the
trade, az he means to get H. LENISE
in his new role. says the British Pre-
mler cheerly, is now delivering
speeches (which might have been de-
livered by Mr. CHURcHuL," his own
Colonial Secretary LENiNE, h9ving
given up bis false doctrines Is. truth
70 tell as LLoYD GEORGE relates II to
Parliament, now even n good example
FOR British labor. Anyhow. LLOYD
GEoBGE rushes 70 put BIZ, Govern
ment and his country into the Rus
sian situation and lie puts them In
all tbe way up to their necks
Germany also looking for every
opening Is there already. For all
we know Germany was aheud of
Great Britain and everybody else.
For the matter of that. Germany may
have inspired the Leuine renuncia-
tion and arranged the whole ref9rma-
tory performance. u would be like
longheaded Germany 10 DO this. And
Italy, japan and The scandinavian
countries arc alert and enterprlslng
in looking out for Number one. All
Europe, indeed except the lingering
France, steps into the new Russia
almost before the grinning face Of
TENrNE shows IT the opening Of the
wide swinging door.
The United States has to face this
problem. Tt has 70 consider whether
II wants TO be left ort In the cold,
with only France Tor temporary com