New-York tribune., 1920-01-18
BloaU to Russian
Reds, Says Hoouer
Lifting BlockadeR eRemores
One of Bolsheuiki's Big
gest Props, He Asserts

ASHINGTON, Jan. 17.-Removal
OF the blockade on Soviet Russia has
knocked one of their greatest props"
from under the Bolshiviki, Herbert
Hoover said in a statement here to-
night. Speaking from his knowledge
OF world conditions, the former d.
rector of European relief said the
Soviet government had laid every fail
ure of Socialism on the blockade and
used it as stimulus for raising
armies on the ground that the Russians
were fighting to save themselves from
starvation. With the blockade re-
moved in large part, Mr.. Hoover said
the "Bolshevik tyrrany" will face COL
lapse when it fails to relieve suffering
Mr.. Hoover thought Russian had no
commodities. wheat, flax or cotton, for
export, since starvation is acute in the
larger cities and the people almost in
rags. The peasants were said to have
sufficient food
Advocated Lifting Ban
st have advocated, ever since last
winter" Mr. Hoover said, that the
blockade on Soviet Russia should be
removed on everything except arms
and munitions, not because It would
do the Bolshevik tyrrany in Russia any
good, but because / believe the removal
Of the blockade will take from under
them one of their greatest props. For
the last year they have laid everv
failure of Socialism onto the blockade.
They daily and hourly blamed the AL
lied blockade for the shortage of food,
clothing and agricultural implements Is
and the misery that has arisen there
from. and they have succeeded in inn
pressing this upon an ignorant people.
They have also used it as 4 stimulus
TO raise armies under the contention
that they are fighting to save them
selves from starvation.
"Ihese shortages and this suffering
are not due to the blockade, but are due
to the total industrial decentralization
and bankruptcy in production, which
Will continue as long as Socialism and
the Bolshevik rule lasts. If the
blockade is opened, the Bolshevik gov
food and clothing at once and thereby
great suffering will be mitigated.
Larger Cities Starving
"rhc acute starvation is in the
larger cities. These will be the areas
that must receiv- imported food. The
peasants have food enough at home,
put after few months, when they
have exhausted the fifty or seventy five
millions dollars in gold and securities
which they have remaining from the
amounts they have stolen from the
banks, then they will need to export
commodities in exchange for inward
goods. No one is going to give them
credit. They have no commodities to
export without causing further suffer
ing to their people. They cannot ex-
port wheat when the population is
1 hungry, nor cotton nor flax when they
are in rags. Their imports will then
automatically cease
The greatest blow they can receive
is to have such an exposure of the com
plete foolishness of their industrial
system to their people. Moreover. a
lifting of the blockade will allow the
real truth of the horror of Bolshevik
rule to come out of Russia.
One thing that needs to be guarded
against in the United States is that
our frontier and port officers must
redouble their vigor against the export
to US of Bloshevik agents. propaganda
and money for subsidizing criminals
to create revolution.
THE Bolsheviki also ought to be
called upon to recognize the frontier
of Poland and Russia as settled by the
Peace Conference and to cease tight
ing Oh that zone"