Evening star., 1923-12-18
j. s. SPURNS SOVIET
OVERTURE IN Blunt
NOTEFROM HUGHES
Tells TChitcherin He Sees No
Reason for Negotiations
for Agreement.
REFUSES TO "BARTER
NATIONS PRINCIPLES"
Declares if Moscow Wishes to Re-
store Property, 1t May
Do So.

Secretary Hughes informed Russian
soviet officials today in a statement
transmitted through the American
consul at Reval that there would
seem to be at this time no reason for
negotiations with the soviet govern
ment. such as suggested in the mes
sage from the soviet foreign minister
received yesterday at the White
House.
The Secretary's statement said that
'fhe American government lis not pro-
posing to barter away its principles.
Following is the text of Secretary
Hughes communication:
Text of Hughes Note.
There would seem to be at this
time no reason for negotiations. Ihe
American government, as the Presl-
dent said in his message to the Con-
gress, Is not proposing to barter away
its principles.
IF the soviet authorities are READY
70 restore the confiscated property OF
American citizens or make effective
compensation, they can do So IL the
soviet authorities are ready to repeal
their degree repudiating Russias OBJ
legations to this country and appro-
priately recognize them. they can do
SO. 1t requires no conference or ne
gotiations to accomplish these re-
suits. which can and should be
achieved at Moscow as evidence of
good faith.
The American government has
not incurred liabilities to Russia or
repudiated obligations. Most serious
is the continued propaganda to over
throw the institutions of this coun-
try. This government can enter into
no negotiations until these efforts di-
rected from Moscow are abandoned"
The announcement is described as
statement" by the Secretary of
State. with respect to the telegram
to President Coolidge from Tchit-
cherin of December 16." in the COM
munication made to the press by the
State Department. AT the conclusion
of the quoted statement, the an
nouncement says:
THE United States consul at Reval
will deliver this statement to the
soviet representative at that place
for communication. to Tchitcherin.'
Action No Surprise.
The action of the administration
came as no surprise to those who
have watched the policy of the Wash
ington government toward the Rus
sian soviet authorities not only dur
ing President Coolidge's incumbency,
but also during the Wilson and Hard
ing administrations. The impression
gained by the soviet officials from
statements contained in the recent
message of President Coolidge was
not believed generally in Washing
ton to be we'll founded. even before
secretary Hughes reached his deci-
sion to reply promptly and vigorously
10 the Russian suggestions
In today's statement Secretary
Hughes made it plain that the Wash
ington administration stands squarely
against any intercourse of an official
character with the soviet regime
while soviet propaganda against
American institutions is conducted
in the United States.
The Tchitcherin proposal was based
on an impression that President
Coolidge stood ready to negotiate a
reciprocal claims agreement with the
Russian soviet authorities which
would consider only the debts of the
Russian regime that overthrow the
cars government and not any obli-
cation entered into by the former
royal government of Russia. That
impression was disposed of by Sec
retary Hughes in blunt fashion.
Follows Former Action.
The same thought was expressed by
aIr. Hughes in March of this year, in
his response to a delegation sent to him
by the women's committee for recogni-
ton of Russia. Recognition of the
soviet government would be "a mis-
taken policy" the Secretary then said
and would give encouragement to re-
pudiation and confiscation.'
But it is also important TO remem-
ber," Mr.. Hughes added, that there
should be no encouragement of those
efforts of the soviet authorities 20 visit
upon other peoples the disasters that
nave overwhelmed the Russian people.
i wish that l could believe that such
efforts had been abandoned"