The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-08-22
AS WE SEE 1T
BY T. j. o'FLAHERTY

DARTLY hidden away in remote
/ corner of last Wednesdays Chica-s j
90 Tribune was a little news item
that had the kick of Missouri mule
IN it. According to the story, the
French government handed over to
the Soviet government the Russian
ships that we're held in a French port
pending certain negotiations that were
taking place between Paris and MOS
COW. Evidently the negotiations ended
in agreement.
rTHE fleet includes dreadnaughts'
l. battle cruisers, destroyers and sub
marines. a valuable acquisition to the
RED navy in the Black Sea. Roumania
will see red and Britain will find her
prospects blacker than ever. 1t ap-
pears that Russia and France have
come to terms over the delicate ques-
ton Of indebtedness. and from what we
read Of the terms are very favorable
TO the Russian workers and peasants
under the circumstances Russia agrees
to pay the small French bond holders
What they lent Russia under the old
regime, but the payments will be
made in paper francs and not in gold.
Those who know the present condition
Il the franc will get the point
FINDER the terms of the agreement,
~ granting that the reports are cor
rect, France agrees to extend large
credits to the Soviet government In
return for a contract to help in the
reconstruction of Russian industries.
Britain is looking at this phenomen-
on with a jaundiced eye. Franco
Russian companies will be formed to
exploit mines. forests, factories, and
oil fields in Russia. The agreement
explains recent tight rope walking
stunts on the part OF BRAND, French
premier
VTTHEN Britain began organizing an
w anti-Soviet bloc, France appeared
to be receptive. BRAND replied to
Chamberlain's invitation to come In
and share in the fun, with an accept
ance in principle, practically compli-
menting the British on their altruis
tic work in behalf of civilization, but
limiting that France had not yet ar
rived at the state of human perfec-
ton which would permit her to par
ticipate in such hazardous sport. It
seems that Chamberlain went ahead
as If France were willing, like Barkis
in Dickens novel.
TN the meantime, France had COM
mission in Moscow which was ne
gotiating over the old debts and 9TH
er matters. Only last week BRAND
flew over to Britain and climbed up
the backstairs at Downing street to
have very. very secret conversation
with the British foreign secretary. So
serious was the situation that the willy
Frenchman insisted that nothing must
be discussed except matters on which
there is mutual agreement. During
the discussion. if discussion 1t may
be called, BRAND flashed the tenta-
tive agreement between France and
Russia on Chamberlain, and politely
inquired how was the security pact
getting along?
DRIAND was awfully glad to see
- England trying to protect civiliza-
ton from Bolshevism. Really, France
is doing the same thing In Morocco,
only in Morocco civilization is being
saved from the inferior culture of
Abd-el-Krim. BRAND asked Cham
berlain for match and snickered as
much as to say, "You know what /
mean and know what you mean. We
are pair of damn liars and none of
us believes the other" The news
papers said that Chamberlain and /
BRAND were in perfect harmony. They
were, simply because they discussed
nothing.
FRANCE was once the most bitter
4 enemy of Soviet Russia in Eu-
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