The New York herald., 1922-05-23
RUSSIA REVlSES LAW
OFPROPERTY RIGHTS
Admits Private Ownership
but Retains Power to
Void Agreements.
is NOT RETROACTIVE
Soviet Officials Consider the
Decree Meets Secretary
Hughes's Conditions.
LIFE TENURE FOR LAND
Trying to Arrange Trade With
Italy. but Ability to Pay
Doubtful.

! Moscow. May 22 tAssoclated Press) -
A fundamental decree recognizing prop
erty rights within certain limits and
upon which Russia's future dealings
with American and other foreign and
I local capital depend. unanimously passed
the executive committee to-day.
While wide latituee is given capital
istic and industrial effort. the decree
nevertheless provides that everything
must he limited to the Soviet laws and
gives the Soviet the right to void any
agreement which obviously is directed
to harm the State"
I A special clause was added TO the law
on motion OF the Communistic faction at
the last moment which makes it nom
retroactive. 1t specifically denies rights
under the law to present owners whose
property was appropriated on the
grounds of revolutionary law up to the
time of the issue of the decree. and does
not give them the right to demand re-
turn OF the property
Foreigners, under The decree. have the
same rights as Russian citizens, II they
previously have secured permission from
the proper authorities to operate in Rus
sla The right OF the protection OF the
Russian courts Is given to persons
abroad suing on contracts and other
matters in Russia only in the event that
Russion citizens similarly have access to
the courts of the nationals who sue In
Russia.
To Meet Hughes Conditions.
Soviet officials to-day told the As
sociated Press they considered this de-
cree largely meets the condition or Sec
retary of State Hughes for American
trade in Russia. They further declared
xt..ast NJ
surrender to capitalism Russia is ready
to make, and that it's limits define the
limits of retreat which Nikolai Lenine
lin a recent speech mentioned as having
ended.
Regarding the ownership rights in
buildings not nationalized up TO date, M.
Kursky, Commissar for Justice, told the
I Associated Press that virtually all large
structures in Russia had been national
| ized. thus leaving few OF them al
fected by the new law.
The committee also unanimously
! passed the Governments new land pol
icy, reite-ating the principle of State
Ownership of all lands. but providing life
7 tenure for peasants working IL. The
m easure provides that nope may buy or
sell land, but that It MY remain In
definitely in the possession OF those cul-
tivating 1t.
rim addition to the above the new land
law provides persons may be deprived OF
land IL they leave 1t voluntarily and fail
TO cultivate 1t for three consecutive
years. IL they try to sell or pawn ther
holdings IL they emigrate. or II the
plots are wanted for State purposes
Trade Arrangements with Italy.
GENOA. May % (Associated Press) -
The chief Russian delegates. NJ Tchit-
cherin. Krassine and vorovsky. are re-
naming at santa Margherita for a Few
days longer, not only to negotiate the
Italo- Russian commercial treaty. but
also to make arrangements with impor-
tant Genoese firms about trade facilities
between Italy and Russia. The Idea or
NJ. Tchitcherin seems to favor the ex-
ploltation of southern Russia by the,
italians establishing several navigation
lines between Genoa, Naples, Trieste and
the Black Sea.
One of the gravest difficulties en-
countered in planning the reestablish-
ment of commercial relations Is the
method OF payment for Italian goods ex-
ported to Russia az Russian currency
las so deprecated that 1t Is worth prac-
tically nothing. while the Russians have
few goods available for expectation
which might be exchanged for Italian
commodities.
Tchtcherin and Vorovsky are dealing
with Foreign Minister Schanzer regard
ing concessions to be granted TO the
Italians in Russia In regions on the
Black Sea- The project contemplates
concessions of coal fields, oil wells and
agricultural land, which are to be ceded
to Italian companies or cooperatives of
workmen and peasants for exploitation,
with the understanding that the bene-
fits are to be divided between Russia
and the exploiters.
The greatest obstacle in discussing
these concessions Is the same as that
which rendered an agreement impos-
sible in the political commission OF the
Genoa conference. namely. how will
Russia guarantee the Italian properties.