The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-27
HARDING MENTIONED
IN RUSSIAN DEAL.
Sec. Colby Says W. D. Wander
lip Is Reported to Have Used
Senator's Name.
HUGE CONCESSION GAINED
State Department Officials
Say No Contract Will Be
Recognized Here.

WAsHINGToN. Oct. 26.-Secretary Col
by announced to-day that Commissioner
Young at Riga had informed the State
Department that washington D. Wander
lip. who recently obtained concessions in
Siberia, was reported to have told Niko-
TAI Lenine. Russian Bolshevill Premier.
that he represented Senator Harding.
the Republican Presidential candidate.
The Commissioners despatch. dated
october 90. said Lenine had informed
Fl. G. Wells a British writer, that Mr.
Vanderlip had made certain proposals
TO the Soviet Government At Moscow
looking TO the recognition Of the Boil
shesist Government by the Ulited States.
Dispatches from London yesterday
said that NJ Vanderlip had concluded
an extensive arrangement with the Rus
sian Soviet authorities by which an or
ganiza ton 81 Western American finan-
ciers acqui. ed sixty year lease on
vast tract in northern Siberia. opposite
Alaska. with exclusive rights to develop
COAL oil and fisheries
VIII Not Recognize Contract.
The State Department officials on the
basis of the London dispatches. said
that since the United States had not
recognized the Bolshevist Government
no contract entered into by its officers
would be regarded by this Government
as binding. It was pointed out that
the departments announced attitude to-
ward concessions was first signed on
April &c. 1919, in a warning to American
business men and repeated on July 81
1920.
The announcement issued by the state
Department was as follows:
Regarding the published report from
London that Washington D. Vanderlip
of California had concluded an arrange
ment with the Russian Soviet Govern
ment for a large concession in northeast
ern Siberia the only despatch bearing
directly on the subject received by the
State Department was one received Oc-
tober 20 from the Commissioner for the
Baltic Provinces at Riga. It states that
Lenine had informed II. G. Wells that
Vanderlip, the American then at Mos
cow, claimed to represent Senator Har-
ding ana Ddu nldut certain pTOpOSdiS re-
gardlng the recognition OF the Bolshevist
Government The despatch further
stated that Vanderlip is apparently en-
deavoring TO obtain coal concessions in
Kamchatka."
In making public the statement Sec
rotary Colby said "The press reports
published this morning lend confirma-
ton to the object Of Mr.. Vanderlip's ac-
tivities as revealed in the departments
official despatch. and speak at length
OF important and extensive concessions
the Soviet Government
BoIsheyists Not Recognized.
1.-THE department has no information
beyond that contained in the despatch.
| might say, however. that il comes
without qualifying terms from an Of
ficiaI of the department I'm whom we
place much dependence. He Is Mr.. Evan
T. Young. our Commissioner at Riga.
and is charged with the duty OF report
ing to the department significant facts
that come 10 his knowledge.
1.-THE report that Mr. Vanderlip has
made proposals looking 90 the recosni-
ton of the Soviet Government and is APP
parentIy bargaining thereon for valuable
concessions makes Il proper for me to
state. by way of warning. that, as the
Government Of the United States has
never recognized the Bolshevik regime
American business men and investors
should bear in mind that any conces-