Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-25

has passed the worst phase Of the SOC
strong to relax from the stern Standofni'
Along with this belief of greater
strength has grown up vigorous ma.
tionaliSm. In spite OF every enort OF
Soviet leaders to maintain the interna-
tional viewpoint, Russia of today is more
and more concerned with purely Rus
sian detectives, which is nationalistlc
impulse. This factor was important IN
deciding the stand OF Russia on the
Manchurian issue.
To attempt an answer to the FIRST
question, the assurance shown in the
clash with China Is based on f1rm
conviction among Soviet officials that
China was the aggressor in seizing the
railroad and arresting or ousting Rus
sian officials and employees thereof. ANY
| one in Moscow and other Russian cities
and in the rural section. in July. when
the ultimatum was sent to China 10
restore the railroad to its former status
had unquestionable evidence that the
people generally backed up the Soviet
| officials In their demands to China.
ProvOcations Cited.
The people as well as officials be-
| lieved that Russia had been more than
| patient in the face of repeated Chinese
! proVocationS, such as the raiding OF
| the Russian embassy and conSulates
from 1927 down to May Of this year:
No other nation, they declared, had
submitted without retaliation to such a
! series of offenses In violation of the in
! ternational custom giving immunity TO
diplomatic and consular Offices.
OF course the nations outside have
another viewpoint on Russian activities
| in China in the way of communist
! propaganda. but within Russia the con-
viction Is as stated, that Russia has
been Inundated repeatedly. and since
it is upon the convictions OF the Rus
sian people that the Soviet Government
| is acting. their side is outlined to ar
rive a an explanation of the new policy.
Moreover both offlcials and people In
! Russia have unbounded faith in the
! prowess of the Red army. 1t is believed
! to be better equipped with the most
! modern fighting equipment than the
| Chinese forces and to be ready to make
a better showing than the czarist
armies ever made. Yet 1t was just as
clearly evident that the bulk of the
avoided without loss OF face" to Rus
sian prestige.
! The II years since the Red revolu-
ton of 1917 have been years of in
credible suffering. Prior to that were
nearly three years of participation in
the World War. so that all adult Rus
SLAMS today have had more than the
usual I'LL of hardship, famine. death
mutilation and other concomitants Of
war. There was no demand for war
| for the sake of war In Russia after the
railroad dispute arose. but a grim deter
mination was manifested to shoulder
! whatever consequences might come from
holding on to the Russian interest in
the Manchurian line. -
Advance Made In Recent Years.
On the economic side the assurance
OF Russia has increased notably in the
last two years. The American visitor
cannot see this If he undertakes to
measure Russia by American standards.
BY such measurement Russia today pre-
sentS an undesirable picture. But Rus
STA must be measured by Russian stand
ards, namely, Is Russia better of now
than 1t was year or several years ago?
The reply by that test Is Affirmative,
and the visitor has his impression con-
firmed by reports made by Americans
who are permanent residents in Russia
Ofdcials did not disguise the fact that
costly war would give Russia a serious
setback just as they believe the nation
is getting on its feet. Consequently war
was not wanted for that reason. Never
theless, the Russian half interest in the
Manchurian railroad, worth hundreds
Of millions of dollars, and the prestige
Of Russia in tl1e Far East were declared
to be so important as to force the Soviet
government to act drastically.
As for the second question, concern
ing resumption Of diplomatic relations
with England. 1t will be recalled that the
negotiations were broken of in London
after Premier Macdonald laid down the
f~sfA hal r-;,,
antees that no propaganda hostile to
the British empire would be permitted
by the Soviet government.
The Russian negotiator left London,
as he was not instructed to give such
assurance in advance OF actual recogni-
ton. The Moscow contention was that
England should recognize Russia first
and talk details afterward. Premier
Macdonald preferred the reverse proc
ess. For the outside observer, however,
the significant fact was the willingness
Of Russia to drop negotiations, "for the
present." as 1t was of1cially stated
thereby giving the impression that Rus
STA was not begging for recognition, and
even that Russia did not consider 1t a
pressing problem. A few years ago
Russia did give the impression of being
exceedingly eager for recognition.
Trade Grows Despite Rupture.
The explanation offered for this new
attitude was that Soviet Russia now
feels able to stand without recognition.
Trade is going on in spite of the rup-
ture of diplomatic relations, and is
growing. The new nationalistic pride
Of Russia Is getting to the point where
1t does not cool its heels outside the
foreign Offices of other nations, humbly
! petitioning for recognition, according to
this Interpretation. The same sense Of
strength behind the gesture toward
China was operating here.
When the violent attack upon Ameri-
can diplomatic moves in the dispute be-
tween Russia and China, made in the
Moscow press on August 8, Is considered,
! the former and some other motives ap-
parently were operative. This attack,
quite significantly, did not come until
after the preliminary negotiations be-
tween Russia and China at the Siberian
border broke down. The plot" in
Washington about which the Moscow
press complained bitterly was q discus
sion held at the Department of State
with the ENJOYS of England, France,
Germany, Japan and Italy, the obvious
purpose Of which was to find an eouit-
able adjustment of the dispute-eouit-
able to Russia, no less than to China
1t will be taken for granted.
/ The Moscow press said this confer
ence was planning to take over the rail-
road, and that finally IT, would work
out into q decided advancement OF
American interests In Manchuria. While
not making any formal reply to this
charge, 1t was indicated in Washington