Evening star., 1922-05-01
The Russo German Treaty.

Inevitable" in the opinion Of nine
out Of ten American editors. was the
compact which unites Germany and
Russia on a commercial and economic
basis. To the other 10 per cent the
treaty Of Rapallo is further evidence
Of German "perfidy" and Russian
!! bad faith" potentially dangerous
and not to be tolerated by the allies.
Nevertheless. as the Pittsburgh
Leader sees it. the Russian-German
treaty 10 "the most natural event in
the world" made SO. the Providence
Tribune adds. "by the policy of the
allies" The very fact that an agree
ment between two nations supposedly
sovereign could cause such an up
roar proves to the New York Globe
that the allies did not propose to
treat Russia and Germany as free and
independent nations" Because, as
the Portland (Me.) Express and Ad-
vertiser puts it. France and Great
Britain still retain their 'sign-here'
them to Genoa was. the Buffalo Ex-
press thinks, 'to tell the bolsheviki
and the Germans the terms on which
they might do business with the
world" and in consequence, the New
York Globe continues, they have re-
duced two great nations to a state
where, like the proletariat of the
MARKHAM formula, they have a world
to gain and only their chains to lose"
The result, as most observers on this
side view 1t, is merely the inevitable
outcome Of conditions for which the
allies themselves are responsible.
And why not? many writer's ask.
Russia and Germany have as much
right as any other two nations to
enter into a commercial treaty" the
Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville)
contends: further. they have as
enter into a political treaty" and it
agrees with the Lincoln (Neb.) State
Journal that Ito a person up tree
and on the other side of the ocean
1t looks like a fair case of the goose
and the gander," for. IT the rest Of
Germany, then what, are Russia and
Germany to do but unite?"
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram
asks another question: Have not ma
tionalistic claims and counter-claims
been the order of the day. or have
tical to prevent the development
again of the old system of alliances?"
The Duluth Herald answers by pre-
senting the Russian-German treaty
as the outgrowth of the insistence of
all nations "on putting at national IN, n,
that policy is to endure in Europe,
the Genoa conference might as well
admit that Germany's chief offense"
lies in having slipped something
over on the rest of Europe"
Therein lies the whole rub. the
sia is to be exploited. the allies pre-
fer to do the exploiting; If Russian
manpower Is again to become po-
tential menace in the European con-
cert, the French or British would
prefer to have the direction ;, Of IT..
they have merely been outgeneraled.
Commercial relations between these
two countries is again but "a natural
development" for, the Newark News
explains, 'ths Germans understand
Russia and the Russians better than
were deeply rooted in Russian enter.
prises before the war;" and "by all
the laws of probability they were GER
tain to go back" Moreover. accord
ing to the New York Herald. 1.-The
Germans are pre-eminently equipped
at this time." and guided by Ger
man, organizing genius. German In
sttnct for government, for commerce.,
for industry, Russia with her l80,-
100000 people and her boundiess
natural resources will in another
generation come again to occupy her
great place among the nations OF the
earth"
But whether there IL economic peril"
in this "brotherhood of outlawry. the
New York Tribune finds in 1t grave
political peril" and other papers share
this fear. II the treaty means anything,
the Philadelphia Public Ledger is con-
yinced that ''it foreshadows a new
European line-up. with Russia and Ger
many, hands clasped, forming what may
become military as well as an Indus
trial and political alliance against the
rest Of the Old World" grouping
which, the Providence Journal agrees,
sshas all the elements of menace so
great, so far-reaching. that the self