The Washington herald., 1922-05-16


~ which they acquired them. or
slternativsly. receive compenss tion
for the loss Of them. then the whole
FABRIC OF international trade and
commerce will disappear and the
world will 70 mp In chaos.
10 impossible to conceive conn
merce between nations that u not
founded upon the right OF properfy
and upon the sanctity Of contract
A century ago nations were nearly
enough seif-supporting to Withstand
such shock. The world has now
grown into absolute interdepen-
dence The very life of people de-
pends upon the movement Of COM
modities and goods from ono nation
to another. Property rights are not
a fetish: they are an instrument Of
industry and commerce and are as
indispensable as ships. Unless there
can be an assurance of tne security
Of these rights Of foreigners there
can be no processes of exchange IN
goods or, Investment Of savings.
There is no enforcement OF property
rights and contract between nations
unless we are to force the test OF
fufrd tc do. Our only course IL &c
tbe'ht thCbC
things are maintained. Upon COM
fidence in the good faith in these
principles among nations rests the
whole fabric of international life.
Not Academic Theories. =
These are not academic theories.
They are questions which effect the
life and death of millions Of people
outside of Russia VINO are dependent
upon international commerce for
their daily bread They are the
economic foundations of relations
that must be established with RtH-
sia for they alone will make for
her real reconstruction, and the
salvation of her people. All else is
beside the point except charity.
which in the nature OF things must
be temporary.
slowly swings toward the standards
that We believe are vital to her re-
covery and to the point where IL is
possible to undertake her rebuild
ing. America has not been remiss.
Before the next harvest the Ameri-
can Relief Administration under my
direction. will have expended more
than $4,000. 900 in American char
ity on the saving of Russian people
from starvation and in provid ling
seed for the next harvest. This
operation will perhaps do more than
save ten millions Of humanity from
death. 1t will through this act of
charity have saved the soul of the
Russian people from an abyss of
despair. too terrible for human ex-
preston. 1t Is the visible evidence
Of the sympathy Of the American
people and our desire to help.
Charity Not solution.
ITO those Russian officials who
have this last week reminded US
that our government in its rela-
tions to Russia was dominated by
horrible trusts who would recover
their property, II may he pointed
out that the sums We are spending
on charity before the next harvest
will probably exceed the whole
value of American property in Rus
sia. and incidentally will be many
times as much as the charitble con-
tributions OF all the rest of the
world together. But charity, great
as is the idealism that America
pours forth. is not a solution.
But when all is said and done,
the great problem still stands out
Russia 10 slowly dying because the
dynamic forces of production and
foreign confidence have not yet
been restored. We, a great Chris
| tisn people. look with horror and
deepest sympathy upon her untold
miseries. We wish to find founda-
tions in realism for assistance TO
the Russian people. To extend this
help requires a Aast restoration of
confidence. 1t requires a restora-
tion OF the processes of business
and commerce. Russia is making
progress in these directions. We
| wish to help but where does lasting
help lie except in the firm and final
re-establishment of those basic
funds me ntals that we have already
stated?''