New-York tribune., 1922-06-12
Britain and Souict Trade By Henry W. Taft

political in character and sre the
more significant for taat reason be-
cause they belong properly not to
commercial agreement az all but %
formal political treaty. d.
The value 20 Russia Of the political
clauses ia precisely that they confirm
the recognition Of the Soviet gov.
eminent by the British government"
In asking the House Of Commons %
approve the trade agreement Lloyd
George said:
Let Us look at this matter with
out prejudice. You cannot afford 20
have prejudlecs II you are a trading
community. Certainly not. You can
not always examine the records Of
your customers. Let Us look AZ this
matter from the point OF view of
the realities Of the situation
IL is interesting 20 contrast this
with what he said about "prejudiees"
on the adjournment Of the Genoa con-
ference. He said:
III Russia is TO get help Russia
must not outrage the sentiments
or. II you like, let them call them
the prejudiees the world.
These prejudices are very deep
rooted; they are rooted in the soil
OF the world; they are inherited
from the ages and you cannot tear
them OUT
But he deliberately ignored the
whole bundle Of Anglo.Saxon "preju.
dices" in making the trade agreement
Of 1921. and now proposes TO do it
again. II the exigencies Of home poll
ties had not blinded him TO the real
situation no would have known that
the "prcjudices" on both sides were so
deep seated that II was impossible that
the agreement should ever amount TO
anything.
Lloyd George himself found oeeA-
sion in the most unqualified language
70 denounce the deliberate violation OF
the condition of the agreement Of 1921
that the Soviet government should re-
frain from propaganda outside OF Rus
sia itself; and such propaganda has
gone merrily on, according 10 the
peeuniary ability Of the Russian gov
ernment 10 maintain Il. About six
months ago Lord Curzon sent note 10
the Soviet government officially protest
ing against It's violation Of the British
trade agreement, while Sir William
Horne, Chancellor OF the Exchequer.
who was the British agent in negoti-
stng the agreement, said that II had
failed because the Soviet government
had been more anxious 70 spend their
gold on propaganda than to exchange
il for the goods they require"
LLOYD George Wants Proof
Il is, 70 doubt, due 20 his expert
cnee with the trade agreement that
Mr. Lloyd George has said that he is
obliged to make any real concrete Dip
.omatic relation between the two eoun-
tries depend upon the actual proof
which she can give US OF her bona
hdes." lie has even suggested "a period
Of probation in order TO re-
ceiye necessary guarantees not mere
ly on paper but in practice that the
Russian government intend not only
themselves 20 honor the obligations
OF the treaty but that they have es.
tablished sufficient control over the
extremists and powerful organizations
in their midst who are now engaged
in challenging the new policy Of the
Soviet government" And on April 3,
1922, he said that Russia's need for
capital could not bc satisfied without
Security. confidence and peace inter-
raj as we'll as external" and that
there must bo respect for private
property, respect for the rights Of indi-