Evening star., 1923-06-03
PREPARATIONS PROBLEM
SOON MAY BE SETTLED
Germany's New Tenders Expected at
Once--People to Escape Vassal-
age to Industrialists.


to the limit.
With Germany showing a real spirit
of seeking some settlement, there is
every reason to believe a solution
soon will be reached. For. when all
iss said and done. there is not one
allied power today that can afford to
spurn reasonable and fair proposals
from Berlin.
CurzOn VS.. Russians.
Overshadowed in large measure by
other events upon the continent in
recent weeks, nevertheless Lord Cur
IONS effort to force soviet capitula
tion to British demands is one of the
most significant and far-reaching
steps taken by the foreign Office since
the war closed.
When Lloyd George effected.
through Leonid Krassin. a trade
agreement with the bolsheviki in the
face of protests of other European
powers. who decried direct approach
with the Russians. still In bad odor
as the result of forsaking the allies
in the war and the bolshevillis re-
pudiation of international obliga-
tions, the matter was hailed in Eng
land as a step in the right direction.
AS matter of fact. this trade agree
ment has accomplished but little eX
ing link for negotiations between
the English and Russians on perpleX-
ing questions constantly arising. It's
economic results have been nil up
to the present. But the Russian
regime in Moscow has more and
more come to the. conclusion that
Russia can neither live nor advance
without the aid of outside capital.
The Russians have regarded the
trade agreement as an opening wedge.
I
soviet governments loathness to see
abandonment in face of the discour-
aging uphill fight to obtain any sort
or recognition. seized upon undue ag-
| gression against British fishermen
! and threatened the abrogation of the
i trade agreement in order to force
concessions in the direction where
England most fears soviet machina-
tions-Persia and Afgbanistan, in the
direction of India.
Soviet Encroachments.
Though agreements effected be-
tween Lloyd George and Krassin
presumably provided against undue
soviet encroachments upon the Brit
ish empire in Asia, it is a we'll known
fact that the soviet government has
not been loath in the least TO extend
the bolsheviki's position and. further
|
propaganda against British institu-
tions. The northern Indian tribes
are known to have been fired to
renewed revolutionary endeaNors
through the instrumentality of soviet
emissaries. British influence in Persia
and Afs shanistan was undermined and
everywhere in the Mohammedan
world efforts were made to dfscredft
all British enterprise of whatsoever
character
Curzon, the man who Knows more
about India and its dangerous cur
rents than any other man in the
British government today. by virtue
of his long tenure as vlceroy, now
is attempting to solidify Britain's po-
sition against further soviet en-
Croachments. Continuing rs they
have since the bolsheviki seized the
r.ins OF government in Russia, any
thing might happen in so far Brit
aims Asiatic possessions are con-
cerned. 1t is not surprising. there
fore, that Curzon should seize upon
the first real opportunity for a
showdown with Russia and demand
that British interests be safeSuarded
to the extreme of Moscow withdraw
ing soviet emissaries from Persia and
AfGhanistan, the two logical points
ganda and schemes directed against
England.
Settlement to BE Expected.
Though the negotiations between
the Russians and the British have
been continuing for more than two
weeks. no definite decisions have been
reached, the Russians insisting that
-: the Curzon demands encroach on
Russias prestige and are therefore
not acceptable. In the meantime
England stands firm. 1t is unlikely
that England will retrace her steps,
though possibly modifying the gen
eral tone of her demands for diplo-
matte reasons. There is every rea-
son for believing that Russia will
capitulate to the Curzon demands, on
the face of them at least. in the hope
of perpetuating Russian influence in
British financial marts. Though war
has been suggested. it is extremely
unlikely. More likely there will come
a period of negotiations, in which the
at present innocuous trade pact will
be given teeth and the future, thor
oughly grounded on clear under
standing, will bring closer co-opera
Russians. This is particularly true
in view of the fact that the extension
of British export trade is one of the
grave problems confronting any Eng
lish government
1t may be expected that when the
smoke has disappeared England will
be able to rest easy in the knowledge
that Russian endeavors in the di-
rection of Asia will cease to be the
ogre and the territories of Asia be-
come maelstrom for conflicting
Eupopean political tides.