Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-05-03
Commerce With Sov;;eti;sn1

" UROPEAN judgment appears to be COM
Ing more and more to Secretary Hughes
view on the commercial aspect Of recog
milton Of Soviet Russia. Urged that America
should shake hands with the Moscow regime
as matter of business profit if not of diplo-
matte principle, the Secretary answered:
There is a good deal of fallacy in what is
said about trade between Russia and other
nations OF course other people are trading
with Russia, and our people are trading with
Russia. Trade is going so far as 1t can go
on, but it is relatively insignificant. If you
will examine statistics you will observe that it
makes little difference whether or not any
particular government has recognized the
Soviet authorities. with respect to the actual
trade that is being conducted. If Russia buys
she must be able to have something to buy
with; that is, she must produce SO that she
can buy" But, as Soviet reports themselves
bear witness, she is producing next to nothing
industrially, and in agriculture not enough to
exert marked commercial influence. Thus
those who plead that we lend diplomatic en-
enlargement to the Boshevist abomination
for reasons Of business expediency, are pro-
posing in reality that we sacrifice principle
without getting even a mess of pottage In re-
turn.
Closely parallelng Secretary Hughes opiA-
ion is that of the distinguished French pub
1icist, M. Andre Liesse. He declares, in
any country which has a legislature and
courts for the maintenance Of justice, where
governmental power is based on security of
private property, an alien or a native can
enter into business relations with his rights
safeguarded, even to the eventual withdrawal
of his investment. But the Russian govern
property" What inducement, indeed what
possibility, is there for the outside world, act
ing in good faith, to establish and maintain
commercial relations with such a regime?
True enough it is that country vast and
populous and potentially rich as Russia is not
to be ignored. "But" says NJ
Liesse, first we must thoroughly understand
her. eve capnot ourselves create within her
the conditions of security, of equity and of
that will invite and sustain
mutually profitable trade. This, as the French
journalist cogently argues, depends on the
Soviet dictators themselves" for: eff the
doctrinaires of Communism actually believe
their own dogma; if the laws of nature are to
them, just as to certain physicists drunk with
dilettanteism, mere fgments of imagination,
then Russia will long continue to vegetate in
her present degenerate condition"
A glance at the record of the case will veri
fly the practical wisdom of these views. Lloyd
George, believing that development of COM
merce with Russia would stimulate demand
for British products and thereby relieve the
long stress of unemployment, undertook to
negotiate with Moscow. What was the out
come? First, Lenine and his associates in the
domain, and beyond that they were being
courted and favored by capitalist" Britain
and that soon Europe would be at their beck. |
Next, instead of showing good faith and good
will toward the nation that thus reached forth
a friendly hand, they persisted in propaganda
against the British Empire throughout the
East The Italians also moved to encourage
trade relations with Soviet Russia, but with
no better fortune than the British. What
treaty? Of what credit or what service to
Turkey have been the Establishments and full
limitations of Moscow?
There is no reason to suppose that the
United States would fare better than others
who have played with Soviet fire. Far from
being good business" to give any kind of
encoura cement to a regime that stands for re-
pudiation of debts, for confiscation of prop
erty, and for worldwide destructive revolu-
ton, it would be gravely inexpedent. Lenine
himself it is who urges that "revolutiontsts
of all countries must learn the organization,
the planning, the method, and the substance
of revolutionary work." adding, "Then, am
convinced, the outlook of the world revolution
will be, not good, but excellent" Aud Trotz-
ky tells the Moscow Congress of Communist
Youths 1.-THE revolution is coming In Eu-
rope as we'll as in America, Systematically, !
step by step, stubborr'y, and with gnashing of
teeth in both camps. 1t will be long pro-