America Looks at Russia

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 33, 2 November 1929, Page 21

America Looks at Russia

—-.HE question of resuming. diplomatic relations with Russia is the * i ’subject of keen political controversy in America. The Nei | P “The United States is playing a game of hide and seek. We allow Russia to adhere to the Anti-War Pact; we attend League of Nations meetings in regard to disarmament and economic matters along wit Soviet representatives; we send back-door messages to the Soviets not to go to war; and we allow American merchants to enter into daily conl ’ relations with representatives of the Soviet Foreign Trade Monopoly. Despite it all, the American Government officially denies that the Soviet Government is a legal fact. We refuse to ‘recognise’ it!

“Why is it that the United States, alone of the Great Powers, maintains this attitude of legalistic aloofness toward Moscow? The reasons were stated by President Calvin Coolidge in his message of December, 1923, in which he said that this Government did not propose ‘to enter into relations with another regime which refuses to recognise the sanctity of international obligations. I. do not propose to barter away, for .the privileges of trade, any of the cherished rights of humanity. I do not propose to make merchandise of any American principles.’ This sounds very idealistic and sacrificial; but the President spoiled it all by stating that the Government offered ‘no objection to the carrying on of commerce by our citizens with the people of Russia. Now, President Coolidge must have known that the foreign trade of Russia is in the hands of a Government monopoly. Yet he saw nothing inconsistent in permitting our business men to make profit out of a system at one minute and then condemning it in the next upon the basis of ‘great American principles? What President Coolidge thought he could have was the trade and the principle,' too. The hypocrisy of this position, which the American Government still maintains, is transparent. The American Government and the. American Courts have within recent years conceded the validity of numerous acts of Soviet authorities which at one time it would hot have allowed in the case of an unrecognised Government. Partly as a result of the commercial activities of Soviet representatives in this country, the United States to-day is' Russia's second best customer. “The great majority of American business men who have had relations

with the Soviet authorities are satisfied with the treatment received. If the most responsible industrialists in the United States can thus associate themselves with the Soviet regime, how can the American Government logica y decline to .recognise this regime on the ground that it cannot be tiusted to treat American private interests fairly? “Finally, there is the question of communistic propaganda. The Soviet Government is ready to give pledges against this propaganda, but the United States is apparently unwilling to accept these pledges, on the »at they will not be kept. We point to the broken pledges made by the Soviets to other countries. “Even if propaganda continues, there is no danger that it will do damage to the capitalistic world, as long as the capitalistic world treats its labouring classes with a minimum degree of decency. The United States is not justified in accusing Russia of . violating anti-propaganda pledges until after those pledges are actually given. And even if violations of such a pledge should occur, does anyone seriously believe that communistic propaganda would shake the stability of American institutions? “The advantages of recognising Russia are manifold. American recognition of Russia would'increase the mediatory influence of the United States over Soviet foreign policy. Recognition, accompanied by increased commercial intercourse, might tend to moderate the intransigence of the Soviet regime. Already .Communist propaganda in Europe and America seems to be much less aggressive than it was five years ago. “The'chief concrete material advantage of recognition is that American loans to Russia would become possible. A loan would be advantageous to American investors. A loan would bring to the United States increased concessions, contracts, and trade. “It' is foolish to state that in recognising Russia the United States would place its' moral imprimatur upon the Soviet regime. The United States recognises Mussolini and other equally ruthless dictators without assuming any responsibility for their acts. Ths peace of the world and the self-interest of the United States would be advanced by the early recognition of Russia. .President Hoover has shown extraordinary ingenuity and courage in handling the problem of naval disarmament. We earnestly hope that he will use some of his courage in solving the Russo-American problem.”