Evening star., 1925-01-17
IN TODAY'S SPOTLIGHT
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

There has been speculation since
the resignation of Secretary of State
Hughes as to our relations with Sow
let Russia. It has been elaine ed-not
in America, but in Russia-that the
change of the head Of the State De-
partment has been based upon de-
termination of President Coolidge to
recognize the Soviet, against which
only the adamantine policy of Secre-
tary Hughes has interfered. Such an
assumption brings up the question as
TO what Soviet Russia Is today, and
what this country would face in re-
versing the Administrations policies
Of the last four years-or the last
six years. The attitude Of Senator
Borah, chairman of the Senate com
mittee on foreign relations, is espe-
cially significant.
| X x x x
In his message to Congress in De-
cember, 1923, President Coolidge out
| lined the administration policy, say
| ing that there was no objection TO
| commerce between our citizens and
the people of Russia, but he added:
Our government does not propose
| however, to enter into relations with
another regime which refuses to
| recognize the sanctity of interna-
tional obligations" But while the
favor of America is not for sale, I am
willing to make very large conces-
sions for the purpose of rescuing the
people of Russia. Already encourag
| ing evidences of returning to the an
cient ways of society can be detected.
But more are needed. Whenever
| the active spirit of enmity to our
| institutions is abated, Our coun-
try ought to be the first TO go 10
| the moral and economic rescue OF
Russia"
Obviously the above quotation diff
| ferentiates between the masses of
Russians and the rulers, who, it is
alleged. are exploiting and depressing
them The President stands ready TO
do what can be done for 'rescuing
the people of Russia" From what
| conditions do they need rescuing:
| X x X
It has been pointed out by partisans
| Of Russia that she is now in COM
nercial prosperity since her balance
of trade shows that she is exporting
more than she is importing. Also it
| is found that her trade with the
United States-which has not recog-
nized her Soviet government-exceed eds
| her trade with any other country,
| even including such countries as have
| freely recognized the Soviet, not
| withstanding the claim that recog-
milton Is a. condition precedent to
| peaceful and successful commerce.
| To that it is answered that Russia
| buys her cotton of America, not In
token of love Of Americans nor their
| institutions, but because we have the
| cotton and she must have raw ma
| terials or close her factories. Last
| year she bought nearly $50.000,000 OF
| our cotton, which constituted 26 pei
cent OF her total imports. However
the total of her imports and exports
| is not regulated by the fundamental
| law of supply and demand, but is
arbitrarily controlled by orders from
| the Communistic commissariat, which
is the triumvirate ruling the country
| All imports are bought by the gov
| ernment, not by individuals. Since
| 1929 internal trade has been licensed
| to individuals or firms and today 81
| per cent of domestic commerce is thus
| recovered by private firms, though
| the government shares so per cent
| of the profits. 1t was that to which
President Coolidge alluded in his
message above quoted. But foreign
| commerce is still absolutely in the
hands of the government and great
| jealousy is felt lest political power
| be weakened by the return to private
| commerce. even in domestic trade
1t is this return that is known as
| "the new policy"
From month to month, the commits
sar makes estimate as to what the ex-
ports will amount to in the next
month. Then, with the total author
lied exports in mind, the government
I ables it's agents throughout the
| world, directing how much cotton anc
other goods to buy. There is no such
\ thing as free flow of commerce; the
| imports are artificially held below the
| exports.
! In the last fiscal year, ended in Rus.
sia September 80, the exports totaled
$40, 900 and the imports $104, 600,
900; balance of trade, $66,0o0,o 900 ex.
Scess Of exports. OF the exports, grain