The Washington herald., 1922-02-05
By SIR PHILIP GIBBS.


One Of the most interesting chap
tsrs Of history will begin when
representatives of Soviet Russia are
given a hearing for the first time
in a discussion of world affairs at
the, Genoa conference, unless such
an invitation IL vetoed by France
and other countries have already
told readers why I think the prob
lem Of Russia must be dealt with
by other world powers-especially
by the United States and Great
Britain-as one of the keys to the
solution of international peace. and
European recovery. Briefly stated
again il is that in return for
economic recognition and based
upon the development Of the i'm
mense natural resources of the Rus
sicn Empire now lying untouched
because of the utter breakdown OF
her Industrial life the great powers
can demand, and enforce, the de-
mobilization of the Red army, the
abandonment OF revolutionary pro-
paganda. and the establishment of
less tyrsnnical system of govern
ment. BY such a compact. under
drastic conditions. Europe will be
relieved of a military menace which
totally obstructs the progress cf
peace conditions With the de-
mobilization of the Red army there
will be no pretext for Poland to
maintain her large standing army.
or for the Let's and Lithuanians.
That will ease the financial and mil
itary burdens of France to whom
Poland looks for support That will
make France less aggressive in re-
Eard to German reparations and
will make her friendly relations
with Great Britain more assured.
At the same time the resurrection
of Russia from her living death will
Give back to the world a great mar
Eet for manufactured goods. Be-
fore the war. Russia bought 20 per
cent of all the manufactured ar
ticlcs used by her people. For some
years to come she will need to buy
- per cent in return for her grain.
timber. furs. oils, minerals, flax and
Other produce.
Life or Death for Russ.
4 rising tide of trade in Russia
q
to restore the buying and selling
energy of the whole world, not
rapidly but in a gradual and healthy
way We cannot ignore the possi-
hility. Russia herself must submit
to any conditions to obtain it or
die out of civilization. Upon her
representatives at the Genoa con-
ference df they actually get there)
nnd upon their good sense and good
faith will depend the outcome of
this chance to secure a rcnascence
of Russian life.
Their chief representative un-
doubtedly will be Tchicherin, the
Secretary for Foreign Affairs. He
is- their most highly educated dip
lonnat, their most respectable min
lister. In Moscow a few weeks ago
had a long talk with him and
was able to make a study of his
personality. The history of the man
might make the theme of a Russian
novel. A. young man belonging to
the sristocracy of Russia he became
many years ago an intellectual
Communicating before Lenin was
known by sinister reputation. He
proved a certain sincerity of ideal
ism by coming to England after a
and family privilege, and working
in one of the trade unions. When
his father died he inherited a great
estate. but refused to accept the
inheritance. He was one Of the in
tellectuals behind the revolutionary
movement of 1906 when the old
Czarist regime was seriously
threatened, and when the great
revolution happened after the war
he allied himself with the extreme
Communist groups who overthrew
the moderate men under the leader
ship of Kerensky.
Is Austere and Gloomy.
When I met him in Moscow he
seemed to me a most moody, gloomy
and disillusioned man, as he sat in
= barely furnished room in the
dirty old building used as the for
eign office which is inhabited by a
swarm of Soviet officials and guard-
ed on every landing by young SOL
diers OF the Red Army. Here in a
couple of rooms Tchicherin lives an
austere life. waiting upon himself.
with an old woman to cook and
clean and carrying his own mas
saEcs from room to room rather
than depend upon other mems serv-
ice. People say that is merely an
effected pose, but 1 fancy the man
IS sincere in his desire for sim
plicity and self-dependence. But
watching him closely, and listening
to his manner of speech as 1 sat
facing him. 1 believed, and still be-
lIeye, that Tchicherin is haunted by
a sense Of ghastly failure and by
a conviction of sim" as the old
ccclesiastics used to say, which sits
heavily upon his conscience.
He is a gentleman and an intel
IectuzI aristocrat. but for the sake
Of a fanatical ideal he allied him.
self with ruthless and vile men, and
supported blood-thirsty acts, from
which his own instincts revolted. in
order that his ideal might be i'm
posed upon the people, for what he
believed to be their good. Now
when sat facing him he knew that
hTs consent to bloodshed, to the sup
pression of liberty. to cruelty, had
heen in vain for the theory of Com
rnunism had failed utterly in Rus
sia, and by its organizers such as
Tenin had been entirely abandoned
under the force of irreparable ruin.
THAT Is how 1 read the thoughts of
Tchicherin. Russian minister of
state as he sat silent for awhile
staring at his blotting pad. He had
b.en sincere when others had been
insincere, honest when others had
b.en dishonest, hut their failure
vas his too, and his honour was
besmirched by their villanies.
AdnHs Conassist Breakdown.