TRADE WITH RUSSIA.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 1585, 10 June 1920, Page 5

TRADE WITH RUSSIA.

LLOYD GEORGE CASTIGATES

LOOSE THINKERS.

ISSUES A CHALLENGE

fßy Electric Cable —Copyright.] [Aust. and N.Z. Cable Association.] (Received Wednesday, 10.30 p.m.) LONDON, June 7.

In the House of Commons, Colonel Gretten, in moving the adjournment, asked the meaning of the negotiations with Russia. He said that the Russian Government had a tainted record of violence and murders. Russia had not anything with which to trade to Britain. He ridiculed the stories ot Russian granaries bursting with grain. Moreover, the sum of £65,000,000, which it was suggested Russia held for payment for imports, was laigelv stolen gold belonging to one or other of the Allies. Sir Samuel Hoarc condemned attacks upon the Premier. He declared that the latter had two fundamental intersts at heart —the need for goods and peace. Nevertheless, there would Vie an impression here and in France that if we accepted Russian gold, we would be acting as receivers of stolen goods. . , . Mr Lloyd George replying, said that the decision to trade with Russia was taken in Paris, with M. Clemenceau in the chair. All the Allies were represented on that occasion, and they had come to a unanimous decision that it was desirable to open trade relations. Ho declared that the Allies had acted in this matter upon evidence from anti-Bolsheviks, who had been driven out of Russia, but were associated with the co-operative movement. Subsequently the San Remo rrtTTerence had adopted a resolution declaring readiness to discuss with Krassm the best methods of resumption of trade. Upon this decision negotiations wet e now proceeding with Krassm, with the assent of all the Allies Regarding the available stocks in Russia, tne Premier stated that the Poles had confessed that there were considerable quantities of wheat for export in Ukraine and Siberia. He bad no doubt there wore essential commodities in Russia, and he ridiculed the argument that we could not trade with Russia because we disapproved o itsi Government, or on account of the atioci ties. It was a new doctrine that the people must approve of the habits an customs o£ another people before they could trade with the latter. To urge suck a view now was gross tolly They j> a d to consider the whole situation. It appalled him to think o£ what might happen unless they succeede . in restoring the world. The alterna tlve policy was to say that the> would kill Bolshevism, it was an e thing. That meant putting strength and manhood into it. would mean the loss of hundreds of thousands of men, and the ad o^l thousands of millions to d jTebi He asked, “Are yotf pi spared to do that?” —zzziur:—— "