The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-10-27
EFFORT TO LINK HARDING'S MANI:
WITH VANDERLIP'S SIBERIA LEASE
SAVORS or DEMOCRATIC PROPAGANDA

Washington. oct. @6.-Se crctary Colby
announced to-day that commissioner
Young at Riga had informed tho state
Department that Westminster Wander
lin. VII" recently obtained CONCESSIONS
IN Siberia. was reported TO have told
NIkulaI I.cnlur. ltUS.,Ian EolSh"Nlk PR
w:rr that h" REPRESENTED Senator Hard
,ng. tn" Republican Presidential cand'-
date.
The commissioners GIsIatch dated
October -. said Lrnine had informed
Fl. q. Wells. 4 British writer. that Mr..
Nandcrllp had made certain proposals
to the Soviet government at Moscow
locking TO the recognition of the Boil
shcvik government by the United States.
Dispatches from London yesterday
said that Mr. Vanderbilt had concluded
an extensive Arrangement with the Rus
sian Soviet authorities 10y which an or
Eanization Of western American finan-
CicrS acquired SIXTY year lease on a
vast tract in Northern Siberia. opposite"
.\laSkd. with exclusive rights 10 dcT"l"r
coal. OIL and fisheries.
Commi 81 lonrr NOunS'S dispatch stated
that Mr. VANDERBILT also was ncEutiatlifS
for concessions about hanchi TIA, ST.
IBERIA.
Earlier in the day. State Department
officials. on the basis Of the London
dispatches said that since the United
States had not recognized the HoiShe-
vik government no contracts entered
INTO by ltS Officers WOuIu pt IIH1I uSN
by this government as binding.
II was pointed out that the depart
ment's announced attitude towards con-
cesSions granted by the BolsheNlk au-
thoritlcS was first signed on April ~
1919. In Il warning to American business
men and repeated on July -. IVY.
State Department Statement
The announcement issued by the state
department was as follows:
"RcEardlng the published report from
London that Washington ID. Nanderlip.
of California, had concluded an arrange
mcnt with the Russian Soviet govern
mcnt for Il large concession in North'
eastern Siberia. the only dispatch Dear
ing directly on the subject received by
the stale department was one received
October 20 from the commissioner Tor
the Baltic provinces at Riga: II states
that Lenine had informed IL. Ii. Wells
that Nundcrlip. the American then at
Moscow, claims TO represent Senator
Harding and had made certain proposals
regarding the recognition OF the Boil
Shcvik government. The dispatch fur
Their stated that Vanderlip is apparently
endeavoring to obtain coal Cunccssl"nS
in kamCha tks-
In making public the statement,
Secretary Colby said:
The Wells referred to in the despatch
is undoubtedly Mr.. II. G.. Wells, the
British. writer. who has lately returned
to England from Russia, which | under
stand. he visited for the purpose OF OBJ
tanning first hand Impressions Of con-
ditlouS in Russia. Mr.. Nandcrlip rc-
ferred to in the despatch is presumably
MIR. Washington ID. Nanderltp, TO whom
reference is made in the press de-
spatChes of today from London and Los
Angeles. These press reports lend con-
nrnlation TO the object of Mr.. Wander
lips activities as revealed in the de-
partment's official despatch and speak
at length OF important and extensive
concessions which he claims to have
received from the Soviet government.
The department had no information
beyond that contained in the despatch.
might say. however. that 1t comes
without qualifying terms from an onl-
Cial of the department., In whom we
place much dependence. tie Is Mr..
Evan T. Young. our commissioner AT
Riga, and is charged with the duty or
reporting to the department significant
facts that come 10 his knowledge. Thc
report that Mr.. Nanderlip has made
proposals lookinG.'to the recognition OF
the Soviet government and Is apparent
ly bargaining thereon for valuable con-
cessionS, make il proper for me TO
state, by way of warning. that. as the
government of the United States has
never recognized the EolShsyik regime.
American business men and investors
should bear in mind that any conceS-
sions from the Bolshcvik authorities
would have no certainty Of recognition
by future Russian governments.
1t furthermore would be most re-
grettable if any confusion should ARISE
in the minds OF the Soviet authorities
as TO the attitude of this government on
the question of political recognition.
This attitude has been stated in unmis-
taxable terms.
THE receipt. however. of an official
despatCh conveying the information pro-
posals looking TO recognition have been
made, even If irresponsible. makes II
important that an opportunity should
be afforded to the numerous body OF
men reported from Los Angeles 10 he
associated with Mr.. Vamdcrlip. but
whose names are not published. TO de-
fine their relation to him. II any en-
lists"