Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-11-15

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Especial sCorFsspoadent Of The Areus).
New york, Nov l3.-Tha American branch
Of the Russian soviet has bean hers only stncs
last April. but already It has become nctiesahly
impregnated with the native American OPP
timism
Americans went about during the darkest
days Of the var In the Arm and unshakable
belief that We would win-that, being Ameri-
cans. nothing under the sun could defeat US.
Well, the representatives Of the Russian soviet
in this country gaasd with admiration upon
the results Of this attitude. and evidently de-
cided to adopt IT.
They believe persiatently and consistently.
in the face Of all odds. that the soviet must
triumph IN Russia, because It seams to them
to be tho best form Of government for that
country; that the allied governments are
slowly but surely coming to see that fact and
that American business men have seen It from
the very beginning.
I'VE have every reason to believe that the
allied blockade against the Russian soviet gov
eminent will soon be lifted" declared one OF
its representatives at the American headQuaf-
tiers at 10 West Fortisah street here, the
other day.
He vas q slight, blond man. with straight,
neat military carriage. and he wore immAcu-
late clothes, and even clean collar. AS
b0lshevist, after what. one has been led to ex-
pect from some of our cartoons, he was Bit
ter disarpointment. The only ding that was
the least bit wild about him was his necktie.
and that was distinctly American. With a
very much manicured fngernail, he pointed to
10 couple Of paragraphs in some recent news
dispatches.
You see," he said in slow but perfect Eng
lish, 1.-THE British house of coMmQns has voted
Ito withdraw British military support from the
opposers Of the soviet government There is
even widespread talk in England at present
concerning an economic mission from Great
Britain to Russia.
"Tha truth is that business interests all
over the world are beginning to get impatient
with the failure Of revolutionary leaders. Rus
sia is now the most profitable market in the
world. and its door Is being kept locked with
tout accomplishing results. American business
men are anxious to see the blockade lifted.
We have In our hles there"-he pointed to
some large filing csses-'over thousand let
tiers from American firms, giving price lists on
their goods and enclosing catalogs and pro-
visional contracts. They would ship US the
material We need now, but your government,
for diplomatic reasons. has decided that It 10
best not to grant any export licenses for ship
ments to Russia at present"
1t was to establish friendly trade relations
between American business and the Russian
soviet government that this American branch
waS established last spring. L. Martens, who
! was appointed chairman of the bureau. was
also made the Official representative OF the
Russian soviet in this country. but his creden-
tials have never been acknowledged by our
! state department. Instead, the ambassador
who was sent over to represent the Kerensky
regime h still being recognized as the official
agent Of Russia.
In keeping with its general optimism, the
soviet bureau does not object to this. for II
argues quite sensihly that 1t would not do 1t
any good to have representative in Washing
ton under the circumstances. 1t has, according
to its members, achieved what 1t set out to &C
fcomplish-namely. to gain the support Of
When Mr.. Martens was seat to this country
1.-The soviet government set aside $4,000 900 in
gold bullion to be placed In American banks
and to be drawn on for the purchase of agri-
cultural implements. locomotives, foodstutfs
machinery and clothing for Russia But Rus
sian ports wsfe hfockaded before this money
could be brought through. The soviet bureau
however. went to work gathering all the neces-