Evening star., 1929-12-21
The Lion and the Bear.

| O1Ce dBdul lIle LAOI1 dl4O ILlS DSdl
/ are-diplomatically-lying down with
each other. Yesterday, in old st.
James Palace at London. in the same
gilded chamber where the five-power
Naval Conference will presently assem-
bic, the Prince of Wales, functioning for
his father, bestowed the royal welcome
upon M. Solnikoff, the Russian Soviet
Ambassador. Thenceforward Anglo Rus
sian official relations, interrupted since
1924 following evidence of Soviet du-
plicity in London, were formally re-
sumed.
How long will they last? The Mos
cow envoy is reported to have placed
certain pledges" in the British govern
ment's hands, respecting Communist
propaganda in the British Empire
There was an implied, If not regularly
covenanted, pledge on the Soviets part
when the first Macdonald cabinet in
1924 took Russia's hand in confidence
and friendship. Has the regime which
is the acknowledged tool and expression
of the Third Internationale, with its in
corrigible antipathy to "capitalistic"
government altered its attitude in any
thing but external form-an alteration
of political convenience? Time will tell
and John Bull must biGe it.
The current issue of the Literary
Digest, with peculiar timeliness. quotes
some amazing comment from the Rus
sian Soviet official press-there is no
other press in that country-on the re-
knitting of diplomatic ties with Great
Britain. AS to the reported promise
made to Foreign Secretary Henderson
by NJ. Dovgalesky Russian Ambassador
to France, that the Soviet government
would refrain from all propaganda
within the British Empire, Isvestia,
organ Of the Moscow autocracy, de-
clares, THE promise not to carry on
propaganda is not at all binding for the
Communist International, but only for
the Soviet government" To gain the
significance of this trucking observa-
ton, it needs only to be remembered
munist International and the Soviet
government is exactly the difference
between tweedledum and tweedledee.
There is no difference at an. They are
one and they are inseparable.
Still more blunt is Pravda, organ Of
the central committee of the Communist
party. It busters: I'm its decision to
resume diplomatic relations with Soviet
Russia the Labor government was
actuated by the interests of the British
industrialistS, who find it more and
more difficult to compete in the world
markets with other countries. There
fore they can no longer afford the luxury
of avoiding the enormous market of
Russia. But we must warn the Labor
ministers in the most categorical man
ner that they will not succeed in i'm
posing conditions which their bullish
Conservative predecessors vainly tried
t force upon U.S."
Whether its proclaimed purposes
promotion of world peace and restora-
ton of British trade in Russia-are to
be accomplished or not, the Labor gov
ernment is at least now plainly, and
! even brutally, warned that the Bear
| which walks like a man" is not yet
| ready to quit his old tracks. Wherever
he has thus far trod, they are red with
the footprints of Communist intrigue.
Americans have much to be thankful
for in the year now closing. Not the
least cause for their gratitude is the
adamant refusal of the Government
at Washington to yield to the recogni-
ton claims of the Communist Inter-
national and it's friends in this country.