British Commonwealth of Nations: A Plateful

COMMONWEALTH

(British Commonwealth of Nations)

When the Scotch say that a man has his plate full, they mean that his capacity is taxed to the limit. James Ramsay MacDonald, Prime Minister and His Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, had his plate full last week.

It was common knowledge that the sluggish Anglo-Russian Conference (TiME, Apr. 28 et seq.) would one day be quickened into action and stir the world with "well, well's," or "I told you so's." First, news came that the negotiations had failed. The world said: "I told you so." Then Ramsay said: "This will never do." An understanding was patched up. The world said: "Well, well."

The reason for the collapse of negotiations was that the Russians were reported hostile to the surrendering of confiscated British property, while the British were just as hostile to the Russians' keeping it. At no time was it admitted, however, by the British Foreign Office that all hope was lost, a fact which suggested a little Scotch stratagem on the part of Premier MacDonald to force the hands of the Russians.

In truth, at this juncture, Premier MacDonald took the job of negotiating with the Russians away from his coadjutor, Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs Arthur Ponsonby, and looked after the matter himself, with the result that an agreement was reached on the day following that of the breach.

The agreement was contained in two treaties, a commercial treaty and a general treaty. The commercial treaty granted reciprocal most-favored-nation treatment; that is, that each country agreed to grant to the nationals of the other the same commercial privileges granted to any other nation. Diplomatic immunity was extended to cover consulates and trade commissions. One curious, self-contradictory clause was that the Soviet Government is to assume responsibility for the transactions of Soviet trade delegations which are to be subjected to British Law, but, "in view of the responsibility of these transactions, which is assumed by the Government of the union, neither it nor its representatives will be called upon to give security for complying with orders of courts."

The general treaty either annulled or confirmed all previous Anglo-Russian treaties; recognized the three-mile-limit of territorial waters; specified a fishing agreement; relegated to the stronghold of time all claims, counter-claims and debts relating to the period August, 1914, to February, 1924, when Soviet Russia was recognized by the British Government.

Two important articles in the general treaty need elucidation. The Soviet Government declined to withdraw its decree by which were repudiated the debts of Imperial Russia's Government, but it agreed to satisfy British bondholders in all cases where the Imperial Russian Government's guarantee had been given. The second question dealt with compensation to be awarded to British nationals. The Soviet Government promised to negotiate with British owners and incorporate the agreements reached into a treaty. The British Government then agreed to "recommend to Parliament to enable it to guarantee interest and sinking fund of a loan" to Soviet Russia.