The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-19
PROP AGANDA MUST ST0P, SAYS HUGHES
Soviet BIuntIy Told America Will Not Barter Away
 Its Principles

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1s.-Russian soviet efforts to open negotiations with the United States were rejected today by the Washington govern ment Foreign Minister Tchictherin was informed by Secretary Hughes that there could be no negotiations until propaganda aganist American institutions directed from Moscow" had been abandoned.
 The communication, forwarded through American Consul Quarton, at ReVal, was made public immediately after the regular Tuesday cabinet meeting. It was prepared by MT. Hughes in reply to the proposals tel egraphed to President Coolidge to Foreign Minister Tchitcherin on De- cember Is, that reciprocal Russian American claims convention be ne- gotiated.
 The soviet foreign minister was bluntly informed that the Washing ton government saw no reasons for such negotiations and was mot pro- posing to barter away it's principles"
 0 0 O
 No Room For Doubt.
 Department officials would not ampIify the charge made in the com munication to Moscow that the soviet government ary propa ganda in the United States. Secretary Hughes message was said both at the White House and at the state department to be perfectly clear and to leave no opportunity for mis- conception at home or abroad There were indications, however, that ad- ministration officials feel they have complete and ample evidence of aoViet efforts to foment revolution in the United States.
 Today's developments also recalled that in the late sumner of 1922 the American embassy at Berlin made in uuirieS as to the attitude Of the soviet authorities toward a sugges- ton that the Washington govern ment might send an expert technical commission to study the Russian eco- homie situation. The soviet leaders took occasion al that time to suggest reciprocal arrangement under which a soviet commission would visit the United States. The matter ended there, as the Washington gov ernment construed this as only an at tempt to supplement soviet revolu tionary propaganda in the United States, employing it's commissioners to that end.
 Tchitcherin's proposal for claims negotiations with the United States was based on an interpretation he elected to give to statement made by President Coolidge in his message at the opening of Congress. The refer ence in Secretary Hughes statement in reply to the assertion of the President of Congress at that time that the United States government did not intend to barter away It's principles is regarded in adn-tnistra- ton circles as sufficient to remove. any doubt as to what the President meant.
 No Change In Policy.
 There has never been any doubt on the question in administration circles. The policy of the present ad<inistra tion to soviet Russia, it IS pointed out, is exactly thes anne as that of the Wilson and Harding administra- tiens.
 Secretary Hughes use of the word 'until'' in his statement that no ne- gotiation with the soviet government woudl be undertaken while Russian propaganda continued provides the only doorway government officials can see for Russian recognition. In the event that the soviet government should give conclusive evidence that it had in fact abandoned revolution ary propaganda and coupled with that recognition of it's just liabilities to American nationals and to the American government by adjusting on its own motion the claims against it. it Is believed the United States government would welcome a re- sumption of relations with Russia.