10 FEBRUARY 1923, Page 17

It is impossible not to feel a sense of the

utter futility of the whole dispute between these weak States. To-day their two great neighbours, Germany on one side and Russia on the other, are both impotent. But some day they will revive, and. then the fate of these, little States, which cannot even live in peace amongst Them- selves, may be short and hard. Already,, as we noticed last week, Joffe, the Soviet envoy to China, has gone to Japan, nominally " for his health." But it is now reported that. he. was received almost as a State guest, while, his secretary announced quite openly that he was-about- to - approach- the. Government- with- financial proposals. We may be certain that, as soon as the Soviet has secured itself in the East, the Baltic States and. Poland will begin again to see the old shadow looming up to their north-east.