BOLSHEVIK PEACE PROPOSALS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15970, 12 November 1919, Page 9

BOLSHEVIK PEACE PROPOSALS.

LLOID GEORGE S SPEECH. SCATHINGLY CRITICISED BY THE TIMES. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. Received November 13, 2.30 p.m. LONDON, November 10. The Times, commenting on Mr Lloyd George’s Guildhall speech, says this blowing hot and cold makes the British policy stink in the nostrils of all patriotic Russians, who are still convinced of the ultimate military overthrow of the. terrorists now controlling - Russia. It stigmatises the Bolshevik peace proposal as unmoral, and inspired by international financiers anxious to have Russian money. THE CRY FOR PEACE STRONGLY OPPOSED IN FRANCE. Received November 12, 2.30 p.m. LONDON, November 10. The defeat of Yudenitch is a serious dilema for Koltchak and fhe bad buffeting received, by Deniken is_ being adzed upon by peace supporters in every country as an opportunity to get the blockade lifted, Russia fed and the Russian markets opened to the world. Every ship arriving from the North brings the flotsam and jetsam from Russia making their way without money or clothes to friendly British cities. They all agree that the Bolsheviks have a verv fine army, including divisions probably better than anything seen in Russian history because they are. composed of communal workmen, who fight as for a religion. This is confirmed from other sources. Several newspapers devote columns to review of horrors of the Bolshevik terror, but the main opposition to such a peace comes from France, which is relentlessly opposed to the Bolsheviks. The Government at Washington is inclined to negotiate with Lenin, leaving time to solve Russia’s difficulties. The Daily News declares that the Soviets’ terms are reasonable. Neither Deniken nor Koltchak are any longer in position to deny the Allies’ attempts at conciliation. S SHAKING HANDS WITH MURDER.” LONDON, November 10. Most of the London papers interpret Mr Lloyd George’s speech as a return to the • policy of Prinkipo, as it follows the announcement of Mr Malone, a member of the House of Commons, that he had been authrised by the Soviet leaders to repeat the terms offered through Bullitt. Mr Malone is a young Coalition Liberal, who went to Eathonia with a British passport, thence to Petrograd and Moscow, where he interviewed the Soviet leaders and brought back the terms now published, and which was practically identical with those Bullitt published in America. The Daily Telegraph protests against Mr Lloyd George’s decision to abandon even limited intervention, whereby supplies were furnished to ‘anti-Bolshevik armies. The Daily Mail describes Mr Lloyd George’s policy as shaking hands with murder. The Daily News says there is danger if the Allies waste time thafe the military success of the Bolsheviks may tempt them to put the price of peace higher than to-day, when the door to settlement is obviously open. The Daily Herald claims that Mr Lloyd George’s speech means that the policy of intervention in Russia has been a complete failure, and he is reverting to the policy expounded in January at the Supreme Council in Paris. Mr Lloyd George can now be forced to make a peace on terms the Soviet propose if the whole Labour movement insist. FRENCH PRESS VIEWS. Received November 12, 2.30 p.m. PARIS, November 10. The newspapers have not yet had time to criticise the speech, but the first comments do not favour making terms with Lenin and Trotsky.