Oct. 3.
Ware the forces not only of the Opposition but of. the Liberal Party are gathering to resist ratification of the Treaty with the Soviet Government which Mr. Ponsonby announced. just before Parliament rose for the summer, it may be of interest to recall what this treaty says. Nearly half of it! devoted to regulating the fisheries question in respect of. Russian waters. These waters are to be restricted to the usual it as against the ment will recommend Parliament enable them to guarantee the interest and sinking fund of a oan to be issued by the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
The amount of the Joan and purposes to which it shall be applied shall be defined in a separate treaty "which will not come into force until the necessary Parliamentary authority for the guarantee of the loan has been given, "There is another clause. containing the usual stipulations against interference by either party in the internal affairs of the other party or with the system of government it practises. We know, of cours how the Soviet regards such undertakings. It does not regard them at all.
The commonest epithet applied to this Treaty is that it is "a fake." That seems to be a just description from the fact that the Government has promised to submit it to the approval of Rus a treaty with Moscow was a necessary corollary of officially recognizing its government. The most strenuous efforts have shown that no treaty of any practical value can be made until Russia recovers her sanity. 'The only' sensible course is to call the whole thing off and, if there is money to be spent, put it out where it will earn a dividend. Why not in the Dominions, for example?
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.