South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-09-21
State Department Informed
Cars Country will be
Unable to Act While
War is on.
WARNING NATIONS WILL
PASS ON RESOLUTIONS
Own international Business is
Placed Before Trade With
United States - M any
Treaties About to Expire.
international News Service:

International News service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 81. - The
trade pact OF the entente allies
has absolutely blocked negotiations
for the proposed new commercial
treaty with Russia. which Ambas-
ador David r. Francis OF 81. Louis.
took 20 Petrograd some months ago.
According to information reaching
she state department today the
United States will find IL impossible
10 arrange either modification or
new com mercial treaties with any Of
the entente allies. until they have
concluded their all for one. and one
for ali after the war trade arrange
ment
According 10 the present outlook
the allied negotiations on this prob
lem will not be ended until the war
is over and the affect on American
trade must OF necessity. be very
serious
Samuel n. Harper. professor Of
economics at the University of Chi
cage who accompanied Ambassador
Francis 20 Petrograd and who has
been unoficiaily Interested in the
Russian treaty NEGOTIATIONS. today
reported TO the state department and
the department OF commerce regard
ing conditions i'm Russia.
No Progress Made.
He made 10 clear that the com
mercial conference Of the entente
allies at Paris and the determ ma ton
of that conference 20 endeaVor 70
effect a cooperative commercial ar
rangement among the belligerent
nations had blocked progress in
Petrograd. The Russian foreign Of
ice fatty told Ambassador Francis
that it could not take mp the Amer
lean treaty until the commercial po-
sitiOn OF Russia as 70 the allies had
oeen definitely settled.
The Paris conference framed reso-
lutiOns 20 be ratified by the various
individual belligerents. committing
all OF them TO join the commercial
activity after the war Mr. Harper
said that no steps toward pressing
the American treaty could be taken
until these resolutions had been
acted upon by the Russian govern
ment. This action. he said. prob
close OF the war
The other entente allies are eN-
peCted 20 follow the lead OF Rus
STA. and to decline to consider new
trade agreements 10 replace those
about 10 expire with the United
States until their commercial ar
rangements with each other are
complete. The state department
probably will determine 10 postpone
all efforts 20 secure commercial ar
engagements following the failure Of
the Russian negotiations
Own Business First.
According 10 Prof Harper. the
entente allies took upon their own
international business as OF much
more Importance than any negotia-
tons with the United States. He
says that in the entente countries
the attitude toward ne Unied States
is expressed thus
America has enjoyed the fruits Of
neutrality; she must eventually pay
the penalty OF neutrality
The state department is confront
Cd with the problem OF negotiating
scores Of new commercial treaties 10
replace pacts which expire by limit
alton within the next few months.
Some OF these are with the allied
powers and the attitude OF Russia
has upset all plans for these negotia-
tiOns