Evening star., 1922-02-26
RUSSIA NOW WOOED
FOR FINANCIAL GAINS
Suspicion Put Aside While Nations Strug-
gle to Gain Inside and Favored
Advantages.

| the fruits of rehabilitation efforts and
France might be excluded from par
ticipating in the rich harvest for
many years to come.
** ~
Berlin gets excited and sees In pos
sible Franco-Russian agreements at
tempts to induce the Russians to ex-
act further reparations Of the Ger
mans. sums which, In addition to
those already specifically specified.
, would well nigh wreck the financial
fabric of the German republic. Ger
! many evidently overlooks the fact
! that in tie agreement of London the
German reparations payments were
definitely fixed. Should Russia share
in these, then the allies would have to
curtail or readjust their own por-
| tions. Now readjustment Is not de.
sired in France and Belgium. But
| what Germany does see ana rear IS
| that French agreements may hinder
in measure. at least prejudice. Ger
! many's ideas of inhltrating through
out Russia, thereby building up q
great outlet for German trade and
, Industrial ingenuity.
! The Germans have counted In large
measure upon the Russian field as a
means of not only rehabilttating the
Industrial life of Germany. out like.
wise building up tremendous pohtical
influence. Germany really fears cur
| tailment of this more than anytning.
men have set in motion active steps
to WOO Russian bolshevik favor. and.
incidentally, rubles At least 1t Is
! hoped to counteract the French.
\ ~ +
Naturally, Russian trade Is desired
by England, but the British traders
i have not gone so far as to. completely
abandon caution in their deliberations
with the bolsheviks. England mas
naturally insisted on bolshevik repre-"
sentation in the Genoa conference
hut IL she has done this 1t Is because
England realizes that chaotic RUSSIA
may eventually spell the same KIM
i Of chaos throughout Europe. nussia
at least can hinder swift progress To-
ward the day Of general economic re-
adjustment However. 1t Is notlce
able that the maneuverings OF tne
Russian trade delegates IN EUROPE
and the proposed political alliances oi
the bolsheviks have been closely st sert-
tinfzed. in order that the much-douot
ed theories of the bolsheviks may no.
be given root in unwelcome neios
through the medium OF trade.
*& +
As a matter of fact there is not
! nation In Europe today that does not
distrust the bolshevik regime IN MOS
COW. This not without reason. Tor
Europe has not in centuries seen so
tricky a crowd Of so-called statesmen
as sit in Moscow. And this thickness
becomes more and more apparent as
tha maneuverings and negotiations OF
the bolsheviks proceed. Everywhere
there is doubt and nnlsgiving. All ma
tions want to get in at the feast wnen
the Russian financial and economic
ME is cut. Political theories. at least
ideals, in so far as dealing with the
lbolsheviks, are passing for the expeol-
ency of Fastening economic wet1are.
The bolsheviks are certain 10 arase
onened to exploitation by other ma
tions of Europe. The consortium
methods of reflnancing ana rehaoin
tating Russia has been susgesteo' put
this is opposed by the bolshevlks, VINO
declare they desire !,t a.! na.,uS nrot-
ticipate equally IN deveiopn'en' p'o'
ects.
It is a noticeable fact that today
any one OF Se'eIdi AoeAoAS
| is inclined to believe itself on the IN
side track in so far as Russia Is con-
cerned. 1t is more to be believed that
the bolsheviks have a definite policy
and, in keeping all other powers IN
position of potential aids to recon
! struction processes on the qui vive'
Russia will better herself to an amaz-
| ing degree, with advantage resting
with no one particular nation. =.
In the meantime the scramble to
woo Russia, once hated. always sus-
pected, continues. and chieny Tor the
sake Of material gain to be derived
therefrem. Thus again it is. proven
that political theories and tdeaHsm
when placed under the acid test rest
basicly upon financial and economic
grounds. At least these are the pre-
dominating factors in the life OF Eu"
rope of the moment.