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Show Timely Topics OUK RUSSIAN POLICY Acting Secretary Davis of the slate department is ; very happy In that portion of him letter to xJudg Alton D. Pgrker, pwidtfnt of th National Civlo federation. federa-tion. In which ho sets out the "Russian policy of the ' United Htatei In tho matter of philanthropic relief work i In reply to certain itatements of an organisation calling Itself tho League of ee Nations. In substunoe, Mr. Davis settles certain basin things that It Is well for the country tn understand. His letter establishes the imports nt fact that it Is not the United Hiates government that ha interfered In any way with organisations that would relieve the sick and the afflicted af-flicted In Russia, but the soviet government. Tt is the soviet government That refused to let the Hoover relief administration last summer feed the starving babies In thai- part of Toland controlled, -hjf tiia- bolahevista. And In all that large section of Russia which bolshevism controls con-trols todsy no relief organisations have been allowed to operate save In so far gs all that they have done has been strictly placed under the control of the central soviet commissariat. Moreover, Mr. Davis mskes it clear that on their own risk Americans s,r free to go and oome from Russia end to trade with It In so far the soviet government allows them to do go. That tho actual facts should be so fanatically misrepresented by the league Is characteristic of the peculiar incapacity of anyone believing in bolshevism to tell the truth about airy issue In which It figures. - While this restatement of our attitude in what might be called the philanthropic aspects of the Russisn situation situa-tion In an admirable esposition of our real sympathy for the Russian people and our own desire to help them, Mr. Davla is not quite so happy when he takes up the question as tn what Is the present .administration's attitude atti-tude toward the new Ifaltic states. He asserts that the administration still stands by Its note of August 10 sent by Mr. Colby to the Italian ambassador, and again serve notice, as it did then, that It does not Indorse "territorial settlements affecting the welfare of the Russian people unless a government generally recognised recog-nised as representing them be party to the adjustment." This Is not exactly what the Colby note said, since that famous document contained the rather flat phrase that the United Htatee government was consistent "in its I persistent refusal to recognise the Hal tic elates as separate sepa-rate nations Independent of Russia." This was In line with the president's often-announced policy of "Russia for the Russians' and his belief thst while "Russia Is helpless In the grip of a nonrepreeentatlve government whose only sanction Is brutal force. It shall pot be weakened still further by a policy of dismemberment conceived In other than Russian Interests." The Colby note of August Is on this fesuo wss admittedly ad-mittedly a confusing one. It Is well, therefore, to have the new turn of phrase used by Mr. Davis In his restatement re-statement so that our position will be better understood at home and abrosd, even If It would be difficult for a Salomon to decide what are the ''Russian people's Interests." Inter-ests." and what the phrase "Russian nation" really connotes. con-notes. As to our official sympathy with the people, there should have been no doubt and never has been In the minds of most. Rut It Is worth while retelling that we still are anxious to help In every way short of official offi-cial recognising the evil minority that oppresses the country. Philadelphia Public ledger. 1 I |