The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-01-08

Transaction.
Somewhere beneath a chimerical
rainbow, one end of which rests III
Berlin and the other in the broad
wheat fields Of the Ukraine, there is q
pot Of 4OO,OOO,0OO gold marks. In all
the capitals of central Europe are the
gold diggers representatives
Of no less than six genuinely organ
lied and accredited governments" OF
the Ukraine, each of which IS hoping
against hope to get hold Of he treas
ure, says a Berlin correspondent OF
the New York Herald.
Their dreams flourish in spite Of the
fact that the pot Of gold is almost as
mythical as the n reputed to lie at
the end of every rainbow. In fact It's
origin, dating back to the treaty OF
Brest-Litovsk, is so disputed that none
Of the six aspiring governments can
agree just how it came about or un-
der what circumstances it could be
paid. They only know that there was
a vague promise that Germany would
pay the sum for grain deliveries and
as PREPARATION for part of the damage
done during occupation by the Ger
man armies Of the Ukraine.
But since then Kaleidoscope events
| upset all calculations. In the first
| place the German cupboard is almost
bare of coin. Then, too, the Versailles
treaty suspended payment of all such
claims by Germany. The rapid
changes Of government which placed
Kieff, the Ukrainian capital, into diff
ferent hands 10 times between the rev.
olution and the Polish-Bolshevist peace
in 1920 made the ultimate recipients
of the money, if it were to be paid al
all, subjects Of a discussion which
would dismay ever the proverbial Phil
adelphia lawyer.
A Promise, Recipient Unknown.
AS for Germany, there are some peo-
pie who say they have a vague mem
DRY of having promised something OF
the kind to the Ukraine, but who or
what now is the Ukraine, they ask, and
why speak Of foul hundred million gold
marks in days like these when the re-
mainder OF Europe is talking In bill
lions but must be content with paper?
But still the gold dIggers refuse to
believe anything except that some day
their loyal followers will rise up and
place them in charge OF an independ-l
eAt state. But before then somehow
the gold must fall into their laps.
Ukrainia always, ever before the war,
had dreams of independence, and
through these dreams hopeful leaders
scattered. about Europe can speak Of
following. 4ssrtF
Both Austria and Germany before
the war encouraged regionaiism in the
Ukraine. but 1t was not until the rev.
that propaganda for it could
be made openly in Little Russia. When
Kerensky became dictator some OF the
people made demand for autonomy.
Kerensky had his hands full with other
SO that there vas but slight
opposition when the Ukrainian "Rada"
itself up as a new republic.
Then came the rise Of the Bolsheviki.
The Entente representatives in kieff
hastened to offer recognition to the
Rada. thus giving recognition to the
did so. This happened when the Red
government decided to chaStise Little
Russia soundly for presumptuousness
occupied the historic Mother Of
Russian Cities" Kieff.
Germans Set Up Hetman.
The s%elf-styled republic, having
signed the treaty of Brest-LitOvsk felt
hat Germany owed something in re-
urn and called loudly for help. Ger
many responded, and after driving the
Reds back across the Dnieper set up
hand-picked government Of its own
n which land owners were allowed to
General Skoropadsky was
hosen 'Hetman' Of the republic and
hus became the holder Of a first claim
n the gold digging expedition.
From that time on claims to the gold
egan to arrive everywhere. BY an
Unfortunate threat to arrest his Min
5ter Of War Petlura, Skoropadsky
the merry-go-round of chang
lg governments. Petlura retired from
Jeff, gathered 100000 followers about
i'm and made a successful assault up
n the city. When it fell Skoropadsky,
andaged from head to foot at the
erman embassy like a wounded sol
Ter, barely escaped with his life in a
train.
Petlura's directorate, however. re-
aimed In power only during the win
n Of 1918, when the Bolshevikf again
'ok the Ukraine. He. managed to
Did his troops together, however. and@
gagged In a double struggle with the
olsheviki on one hand and the Poles,
d by General Haller, on the other.
the spring OF 1920 Petlura decided
pick the lesser Of two evils and
AIDE pence with the Poles. For a
ne 1t looked as though he might be
lie to get back control Of his govern (
through Joining withvthe Poles, 6
It luck was against him. The COM {
ned Polish Ukrainian dash to Kief r
is a brilliant success for a short 9
nth, and her began the disaster c
,,.binb Tho III c~vo-< - -