The Washington herald., 1922-07-20
By FRANK H. SIMONDS.

The final failure at The Hague
Of the dealings with the Soviets be-
gun at Genoa is a vindication and
justification of the foreign policy
of the United States and of the per-
sonal course of Mr.. Hughes and Mr..
Hoover. 1t demonstrates that what
ever progress the Russian revolu-
ton has made in the direction OF
economic sanity. 1t has not yet come
to the point where il Is prepared
to conform to Western standards.
The West made an initial and pro-
found error in its various abortive
efforts to promote revolution In
Russia, that is counter-revolution,
by backing the several Russian
leaders who attacked the Reds. In
the minds of the Russian masses
these leaders represented reaction
and the attempt to restore the Czar-
istic regime. These attempts were.
therefore. doomed to failure and
were responsible for much of the
success of the Soviets in retaining
power.
Russia Must Find Leader.
But not less a blunder was the
policy backed by the British ana
the Italians. which undertook for
commercial advantage to recognize
the Soviets and thus fasten their
rule indefinitely upon Russia Time
has demonstrated that IL the Rus
slams are unwilling to go back to
the Romanoff regime, the Commu-
nistic crowd which control are in
capable of administering the coun-
try and that by process of evolution
In
evitably find a leadership which can
accomplish what was achieved by
the leaders of the French Revolu-
tion more than a century ago.
Had the Soviets succeeded in di-
viding the Western nations and en-
listing the backing of the British
and the Italians, with American
support, the development in Russia
would have been delayed and Soviet
rule would have been fortified for
the time being and as long as allied
loans and credits were forthcoming.
The West would. in effect. have
been financing an experiment in
anarchy which aimed at nothing
short of overturning all the West
ern political and economic system.
The failures of Genoa was not
Ouo " tHc StdHu Ol
France and Belgium, II was not even
the result of the decision Of Poland
and the little entente. after the
Russo-German agreement of Rapallo,
to stand with France and against
Britain. The failure was in the
main the national consequence OF
the refusal Of the United States to
go to Genoa, followed by a similar
refusal to participate in The Hague
affair.
Refusal Enthused French.
1t was a mistaken belief that
America would come, which led
Lloyd George to make his Cannes
bargain with BRAND. 1 was in Lon
don at the moment when Mr..
Hughes letter declining the Genoa
invitation arrived and there was not
the smallest mistakirg the geenral
belief that this refusal doomed the
whole enterprise. And one can say
without exaggeration that the
American course, irritating as it
was to the little circle about the
prime minister was received with
relief in many quarters in Britain
and with positive enthusiasm in
L al Is III all cClloho.
Russia Is now thrown back upon
private capital entirely for her
foreign credits, which she must
have to live. The Soviet repre-
sentatives at Genoa and The Hague
were aided by political elements in
Great Britain and Italy which
pressed their governments to en-
ter into close relations with Red
Russia. For this reason British
and Italian statesmen were driven
to make dangerous concessions and
assume a position with respect of
the Soviets which was always dis
quieting and sometimes actually
humiliating. No such attitude can
be imposed upon private capital
which will be directed by men for
whom only economic facts will
have valie.
The best thing about The Hague
episode was that IL demonstrated
the fact which should have needed
no demonstration. that the interests
OF all Western nations are iden-
tical and that the Russian regime
OF the moment has nothing in COM
mon with British. French or italian
systems. muca less with American.
Favored Recognition OF sevieta
The whole episode Is one more
forcible reminder of the dangers
incident to the discussion of eco
nomic and financial matters not in