The Topeka state journal., 1919-11-15
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM ALTON
BUREAU
FREDERIC J. HAEKN. D4rseGoe.
washtnEtsn. d G.
RUSSIAN OPTIMIsTs.

RUSSIAN OPTIMISTS.
New York. Nov. 1.-THE American
branch of the Russian Soviet has been
here only since last April. but already
it has become noticeably impregnated
with the native American criticism.
Americans went about during the
| darkest days of the war in the firm
and unshakable belief that we would
win-that. being Americans, nothing
| the Representatives of the Russian
| Soviet in this country gazed with ad-
miration upon the results of this atti-
+tude, and evidently decided to adopt it.
| They believe persistently and con-
| slstently, in the tace of all odds, that
! the soviet must triumph in Russia,
| because it seems to them to be the
| best form of government for that
| country; that tire allied governments
are slowly but surely coming to see
that fact, and that American business
men have seen it from the very begin
ming.
! We have every reason to believe that
the allied blockade against the Rus
| sian Soviet government will soon be
! lifted" declared one of it's representa-
tives at the American headquarters at
1I0 West Fortieth street here, the
other day.
He was slight. blond man, with a
straight, neat military carriage. and
]
la clean collar. AS Bolshevist after
what one has been led to expect from
some of our cartoons, he was bitter
disappointment The only thing that
was the least bit wild about him was
his necktie, and that was distinctly
| American. With a very much mani
cured fingernail, he pointed to a couple
! of paragraphs in some recent news
| dispatches.
You see.'' he said in slow but per-
! feet English. ''the British house of
commons has voted to withdraw Brit
| ish military support from the opposers
| of the soviet government There is
| even widespread talk in England at
present concerning an economic mis-
! sion from Great Britain to Russia.
| ''The truth is that business interests
all over the world are beginning to get
! impotient with the failure of revolu-
| tionary leaders. Russia is now the
most profitable market in the world.
! and its door is being kept locked
without accomplishing results. Amer
| lean business men are anxious to see
| the blockade lifted. We have in our
files there"-he pointed to some large
filing cases-"over thousand letters
| from American firms, giving price lists
on their goods. and enclosing catalogs
and provisional contracts. They would
ship US the material we need now, but
| your government for diplomatic rea-
sons. has decided that it is best not to
=
ments to Russia at present.
1t was to establish friendly trade re-
/ lations between American business and
the Russian Soviet government that
| this American branch was established
| last spring. Mr.. l.. Martens. who was
appointed chairman of the bureau,
| was also made the official representa-
! tive of the Russian Soviet in this coun-
/ try. but his credentials have never
been acknowledged by our state de-
! partment. Instead the ambassador
who was sent over to represent the
| Kerensky regime is still being recog-
nized the official agent of Russia.
! In keeping with its general optim-
ism. the Soviet bureau does not object
to this, for it argues quite sensiblY
| that it would not do it any good to
have a represen tative in Washington
under the circumstances. 1t has, ac-
cording to its members, achieved what
| il set out to accomplish--name to
| gain the support of American business.
When Mr.. artens was sent to this
country, the Soviet government set
aside $2OO O0e 900 IN gold bullion to
| be placed in American banks and to
be drawn for the purchase of
agricultural implements. locomotives.
| foodstuffs, machinery and clothing for
Russia. But Russian ports were
hloekaded before this money could be
| brought thru. The Soviet bureau,
I
| the necessary information as to where
| these supplies could best be purchased,
| Just as If it had the money safe In
| New York, so that the moment the
| blockade is lifted it will be able to
| telegraph its orders and secure rush
| shipments.
The blockade has also prevented any
| accurate information concerning the
situation in Russia from coming thru.
Occasionally, a message is brought
| across by an elusive courier, but moth
| ing very important. The bureau bases
! its optimistic conclusions concerning
| Forthcoming lifting of the blockade
from American and foreign news dis
patches, which it carefully studies
with the aid of a map.
Mr.. Evans Clark, former Princeton
university professor. is taking a large
part in the commercial activities OF
| the bureau. As evidence that the
Soviet government is making progress
toward recognition, he mentions the
manifest collapse of the entire allied
| military and diplomatic policy in Rus
sia. Originally, Great Britain, France
and the United States sent troops into
| Russia actually to assist in advances
| into soviet territory, but one by one
each nation has found it advisable to
curtail this military aggression scheme.
| United States troops were the first to
! leave North Russia. Some of our
troops are still in South Russia to keep
open the Transsiberian railroad, and
to prevent Japan from gaining a dan
gerous foothold, but their activities
are purely defensive. Great Britain
| has now followed the example of the
| United States. and has also Withdrawn
| its troops from the north
Gradually, according to the bureau,
all of the Baltic states are becoming
more friendly to the Soviet govern
Observation-Disclosures