THE SOVIET

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 23 May 1923, Page 5

THE SOVIET

ANTI-BRITISH DEMONSTRATION

"DOWN WITH CURZON.'

BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYEIGHT LONDON, May 22. • Advices from Moscow state the Soviet Government organised a remark-

-able anti-British demonstration, the jnain feature being a procession through the city. A big motor lorry carried a huge effigy of Lord Curzon, wearing a silk hat and a tattered evening dress, while he held in his hands the chains of a string fastened'around the necks of xepresenbatives of Eastern nations, whom he kept lashing with a whip. ,

Another proletariat group carried gallows, from which Lord Curzon's

effigy dangled. The demonstrators marcbekl to Tuerskoy Square, where prominent members of the Soviet Government stood shouting "Down with Curzon.'' Ten thousand scurrilous leaflets were distributed amongst the crowd. All the responsible Russian leaders, howerer, are not anxious to force a break with Britain, and this is shown in a special interview which M. Tchiteherin gave the Daily Express correspondent, in. which, he made an appeal in favour of negotiations as the only "method of settling the dispute between and Russia. He indicated that unless Lord Ourzon could see his way to negotiate, the breaking off of relations was inevitable. »

M. Tehitcherin added: "The termina- " "tion of the agreement must involve a cessation of all trade between the two countries. If Britain is really anxious for us to change our Eastern policy she should not have chosen the method of a humiliating ultimatum. We are forced "to the belief that these complaints are Ttnerely a pretext—part of a precon- • oeived plan for achieving a break. Probably it is Lord Curzon's idea that a cessation of trade would create overwhelming difficulties for the Soviet, but Tie is wrong. Our economic structure is primitive, but nevertheless it is solid and can sustain almost any difficulties.

"Agreement between Russia and Sngland means facilitating world peace, but should Anglo-Russian agreement fail all the inflammable elements

will find resistance to their bellicose aspirations gone. We deplore in the /greatest degree that* in his interview "with M. Krassin Lord Curzon made not i;he slightest attempt to offer concessions. He simply recapitulated the ultimatum. The responsibility he has assumed for this policy is overwhelm-

ing."