The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-01-28
TRADE WITH RUSSIA.
FREELY DISCUSSED
Arguments Pro and Con Presented
Before Foreign Relations Com
mittee-Two Men Monopoly

with Soviet Russia were received to-
day by the senate foreign relations
c committee which also heard charges
that the state department actually
was maintaining blockade against
that country although technically
none was supposed to exist.
Spokesman for organized workers
in many lines of industry appeared
to support the resolution of Senators
France, Republican, Maryland, which
would enable American firms to ac-
cept gold of the old imperial Russian
government which is being offered by
the Soviet authorities in payment for
foreign goods. They said resumption
of trade would go long way toward
relieving the present industrial de-
preston which has thrown more than
100000 persons out of employment
John Spargo of New York, who has
written extensively on Russian con-
ditions, expressed the opposite opin-
ion. In a formal statement which
was admitted to the record, he de-
clared that renewal of trade might
easily prove the means of bringing
about the collapse of our entire eco
nomic system" as credits would have
to be extended to carry on the trade,
Declaring that Lenin and Trotzky
monopolized Russian trade, Senator
Brandegee, Republican, Connecticut,
asked how it would be possible to
work out plans for trade with Russia
without dealing with them. Senator
France replied that British states
men have worked out a plan for the
possession of the whole of Russian
trade" and that he believed the Amer
lean statesmen had ability equal to
that of the British.
Charges that the state department
made an actual blockade against
Soviet Russia were presented to the
committee by Mrs. Harriet S. Black
and Miss Lucy Branham of the
American Womans Emergency COM
mittee. They declared that the de-
partment had prevented their organ
ization from sending clothing and
foodstuffs to- needy Russian children.
and that ships actually loaded had
been prevented from going to Russia.
Finally, they said, the committee
had been forced to send it's supplies
to the American Friends society in
England for transportation to Rus
sia.
Representatives of Labor.
Labor representatives before the
committee included E. C. Dawson,
secretary of the international Asso-
citation of Machinists; Joseph Schloss-
berg, representating the Amalgamat-
ed Clothing Workers of America and
Timothy Healy, president of the
Brotherhood of Firemen and Oilers.
Mr.. Dawson said the Russians need
ed $4,000 locomotives and that the
construction of these in this country
would give employment to many rail-
road workers who have been laid off.
Mr.. Schlossberg declared that 150-
100000 Russians were badly in need
of clothing, shoes and many other
things and that the supplying of
these from America would cause the
resumption of activity in the textile
leather and other industries.
Mr.. Healy told the committee that
100000 organized workers had de-
manded resumption of trade with
Russia and in view of the hardships
,bor was suffering throughout the
country, the governments policy
'hould be to allow immediate re-
sumption of that trade.
Information as to the means en-
p'oyed by other nations to trade
with Russia was given to the COM
mi.tee in executive session by a
Russian in business in Boston, who
was presented to the committee by
Senator France and whose name was
withheld. He was said to have told
the committee that the system in
vo!ved the sending of goods to coun-
tries contiguous to Russia. Upon the
arrival of the shipments Soviets
agents were notified and after ex-