Evening star., 1924-11-02
The Story the Week Has Told

ernment and parliamentary circles
of Britain for ratification by the
British Parliament OF the Russo
British treaties signed on August 8
and gives instructions and advice
looking to revolution In England. On
October "a the British foreign office
addressed a vigorous note OF protest
to Moscow, asking an explanation,
and both the Muscovite letter and the
note Of protest were on october "a
given out for publication by an OFF,
cial OF the British foreign office.
The Soviet government promptly
replied, asserting the so-called Zin-
oviev letter to be a forgery, aimed
to prevent ratification by the West
minister Parliament Of the Russo
British treaties and to ruin the
friendly relations between London
and Moscow and, 'in view of the
use of this forgery in an official
document, insisting upon an adequate
apology and the punishment Of both
private and official persons involved
in the forgery"
Zinoviev himself sent a message to
the British Trade Union headquar-
ters charging forgery and adding
sweetly, ut seems that the laurels
of Mr. Hughes are being divided by
some one in England";t 1T is abso-
lutely manifest that we have in this
case a too clear election maneuver.'
1t was inevitable that some of the
Labor orators should charge a vile
Conservative plot to ruin Labor's
chances in the elections but that the
Conservative chiefs should lend them
selves to any such dirty work ii. e
knowing or suspecting the letter to
be a forgery, is inconceivable.
lot IN
hands Of the foreign office as early
as October 10; why then the long
interval before its publication and
the protest 10 Moscow?
The assertion has been made tina,
the Labor government wished tc
postpone publication until after the
elections. but that its hand wa.
forced by knowledge that copies OF
the letter were in possession of a
London newspaper and Conservative
headquarters. Mr.. Macdonald. how
ever, declares to the contrary, tina,
there was no improper delay; that
under his direction inquiry was
promptly and unremittingly prose.
cuted as to the authenticity of the
letter, and that the moment the for.
eisn Office was satisfied of its genu.
ineness, the letter WAS published anG
the note of protest was dispatched tc
Moscow; that he had no inkling thai
Conservative circles had knowledge
of the letter: and that the fact Of
its official publication on the eve OF
the elections, just when 1t would bs
likely to do most damage to .hii
party, is a sufficient answer to his
critics.
The. Russian press rs. one should
expect is violently vttupefadve or
the business
Pravda is sure the letter was forgei
by Britain's political police. oI
"scoundrelly permanent ofhcials OF
the foreign Office"
Zineview, one hears, accuses the
Poles of the forgery. Certainly the
letter may be q forgery, but 1t was
unfortunate for Mr.. Macdonald and
the Labor party that the Muscovites
should be however innocently) sus.
pected and that the peculiar cir
cumstances attending the signing oi
the Russo British treaties have never
satisfactorily been explained. Chick.
ems always come home to roost
The British government has ap.
pointed Joseph r. Fisher, a Be1fas1
editor, as tho member to represent
Ulster on the commission which. un.
der the provisions Of the LondoI
treaty Of, 1891, is to determine the
boundaries !. between the Ifishs Fret