lies want
(railway concessions, gold mines, or territories)?

"We also look forward to your telling us exactly whether the future
Society of Nations will be a joint stock enterprise for the exploitation
of Russia, and in particular--as your French allies require--for forcing
Russia to refund the milliards which their bankers furnished to the
Tsarist government, or whether the Society of Nations will be something
different...."

As soon as the Prinkipo motion was passed by the delegates I was
informed by telephone, and I lost no time in communicating the tidings
to Russia's official representatives in Paris. The plan astounded them.
They could hardly believe that, while hopefully negotiating with the
anti-Bolshevists, the Conference was desirous at the same time of
opening _pourparlers_ with the Leninists, between whom and them
antagonism was not merely political, but personal and vindictive, like
that of two Albanians in a blood feud. I suggested that the scheme
should be thwarted at its inception, and that for this purpose I should
be authorized by the representatives of the four[267] constructive
governments in Russia to make known their decision. I was accordingly
empowered to announce to the world that they would categorically refuse
to send any representatives to confer with the assassins of their
kinsmen and the destroyers of their country, and that under no
circumstances would they swerve from that attitude. Having received the
authorization, I cabled to the United States and Britain that the
projected meeting would come to naught, owing to the refusal of all
constructive elements to agree to any compromise with the Bolsheviki;
that in the opinion of Russia's representatives in Paris the advance
made by the plenipotentiaries would strengthen the Bolshevist movement,
render the civil war more merciless than before, and raise up formidable
difficulties to the establishment of the League of Nations.

But the plenipotentiaries did not yet give up their cause as lost. By
way of "saving their face," they unofficially approached the Russian
Ministers in Paris, whom they had not deigned to consult on the subject
before making the plunge, and exhorted them to give at least a formal
assent to the proposal, which would commit them to nothing and would
enable them to withdraw without loss of dignity. They, on their part,
undertook to smooth the road to the best of their ability. Thus it would
be unnecessary, they explaine