Evening star., 1921-11-15
BRAND IS SEEKING
SOV|ETRECOGN|T|ON
Reported to Be Eager to En-
ter Into Agreement With
United States.
BY HIRAM X. MODERWELL.

Special Gable to The Star and the Chicago
Daily News. Copyright 1921.
PARIS, France, November 15.-
Premier BRAND will attempt to reach
an informal agreement with the
United States government regarding
the resumption of relations with So
Wet Russia, according to trustworthy
information here. Commissar Tchit-
cherin's recent offer to recognize the
czarist debts has not been rejected
by France. The tenor of the govern
ment's informal reply to Russia and
Of the inspired newspapers is What
guarantees will Russia give" mean
ing by that, economic privileges.
Large interests here hope to obtain
important concessions on the best
possible terms and to secure an al
lance with American capital
Negotiations Already Made.
Though the matter is surrounded by
mystery and complicated by cross
purposes it seems certain that France
has abandoned hope of a forcible
overthrow of the soviet regime and
has tentatively negotiated with the
bolsheviki. For example. the Creusot
Company. the largest armament
maker in France. recently negotiated
with NJ Krassin concerning the con-
cesSion Of the coal and iron mines in
the Donetz basin. But among other
difficulties France does not possess
sufficient capital for such large-scale
operations. This correspondent is re-
liably informed that the Creusot and
similar firms hope to obtain American
capital after an informal accord has
been reached with the United States
Last May the Standard Oil Company
negotiated for the concession of the
oil wells OF the Grosnyi corporation in
the Caucasus. The negotiations failed,
but Frenchmen believe that the rival
ry Of the Standard Oil Company with
Company will impel the American cor
poration to renew the discussions in
which the French affiliated company,
the Franco-Americaine. would share
Foreign ONCE Opposed.
Despite bitter opposition in tha
foreign office, Premier BRAND favors
in principle the renewal Of relations
with Russia. The government recent
ly sent a scout to study the Russian
situation and he has reported that the
iAA- conservative policy Of the boil
shsviki is genuine because it Us based
upon necessity. The official French
view may be summarized thus: Russia
is SO desperately in need of economic
help that she will accept almost any
terms, but politically the bolsheviki
are stronger than ever, and hence
France must come to an agreement
with them, exacting the best possible
conditions in the expectation that the
continued trend toward the right will
eventually make Russia indistinguish-
able from the western nations.
Meanwhile, M. Litinov has reap
peared in Stockholm and is urging
capitalists to accept concessions and
resume trade. 1t is a notable fact
that his chief lieutenant, who con-
Quoted the actual negotiations with
the American Relief Administration in
Riga, is Vladimir Florinski, who was
Russian vice consul In New York at
the time of the Kerensky> regime.
He knows the English language.
American mentality and American
diplomatic usage. Hence the stage is
set for a possible general conference
between Russia and the great powers
on the basis of Russian guarantees in
the shape of concessions of natural
resources. All that is now needed Is
a preliminary international agree
ment, for which the Washington con-
ference provides the opportunity.