The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-05-09
BRITISH | ABOR
A N S W { RS BIC
BANKERS THREAT
Say Soviet Claims Are
Very Moderate
(speelaI correspondenee.l

LONDON.-When the Soviet ENJOYS
Russian conference now on, British
financiers issued a statement calculat-
ed to produce a hostile atmosphere
on the opening of negotiations. In
reply five labor leaders charged the
British capitalist class with RESPONSE
bility for famine and suffering in Rus
STA and stated that the Soviet claims
were just The statement is as fol
lows:
I'VE observe the London bankers
memorandum on the question of the
establishment of peace with Russia,
and are of the opinion this is DELHI
crate attempt to influence the attitude
of His Majesty's Government in the
negotiations now taking place.
1.-THE London bankers are trying to
bring about by economic Intervention
what has proved to be impossible by
military Intervention, namely, to die
tate to the Russian people what form
of government and what form of eco
nomic administration the Russian peo-
pie and their leaders should adopt.
Bankers Demands.
1.-THE London bankers memorandum
states:
SOD That recognition of debts,
public and private, should be agreed
upon, acceptable to both countries;
"'(5) That Bankers, industrialists,
f..nI - 1. l. L
be able to deal freely, without inter-
ference by Government, authorities,
with similar private institutions in
Russia controlled by men of whom
they have personal knowledge, and
in whose character, word, and re-
sources they have confidence"
ut may be well to advise the Asso-
citation of London Bankers, who are
responsible for this unwarrantable in
trusion into high diplomatic matters,
that the bankers of this country,
thru their monopoly of finance and
their Withholding of credit, are re-
sponsible in no small degree for the
industrial stagnation which has con-
fronted us since 1920, and is with us
to such marked degree today.
Just Russian Claim.
1--WE, the undersigned, were present
with the first authoritative and official
delegation which went to Russia in
1920. and we can testify that Russia's
counter-claims upon the British Gov
eminent are as justifiable as the
claims made by British and other in
vestors against the Soviet Govern
ment
1--WE have seen for ourselves how
railways, bridges, mines, factories and
agricultural areas have been laid
waste in consequence of the maraud-
ing expeditions of Tcheko-Slovaks,
and the counter-revolutionary forces
of Koltchak, Wrangel, Denikin and
Yudenitch in various parts of Russia.
We have seen how the means of trans
port have been destroyed by these
counter-revolutionary forces, which
his Britannia Majesty's Government in
1919 and the early part of 1920 main
tanned in existence.
- AnSbs AAAuOA VI tuC UCdlu anu
devastation which was the outcome of
the famine in 1921 may be directly
attributed to the action of the British
Government in its support of the
counter-revolutionar because of the
destruction of the means of transport.
Had transport been uninterrupted,
food could have been brought from
the regions unaffected by the drought
to the regions so adversely affected.
British Responsible.
added to this aggravation of the
famine, serious effect of the blockade
of the British Navy was the cutting
off of the supplies of medical require
ments, antiseptics, soap, ETC., ETC.,
which, had they been available in
sufficient qualities, would have pre-
vented the epidemics of typhus and
other fevers which swept the country
at recurring periods.
1--WE are prepared to declare un-
hesitatingly that Millions of men in
1920 and 1921 were recruited into the
Red Armies whose services could have
been more fittingly employed in re-
storing Russia's economic integrity
than in fighting, on the various fronts,
the mercaneries instigated by British
financiers, militarists, and reaction
aries who were in charge Of our coun-
try's affairs from the Coalition on
words.
A. A. Purcell, MP.
Ben Turner, MP.
r. c. Wallhead, Mp.