Evening star., 1925-01-13
KELLOGG TO HOLD
TO HUGHES POLICY
Soviet Recognition No Near
er Because of Change
in Secretaries.
BN DAVID LAWRENCE.

No important change in the foreign
policy of the United States will result
from the resignation of Secretary
Hughes.
President Coolidge has been as much
| responsible for the various steps taken
by Mr.. Hughes in the Department of
State as has been the Secretary him
self, and any other impression assumes
that the President has merely been
nodding a reluctant assent.
The European press is wrong in TAX
ing for granted that the President is
about to embark on a policy of his
own or that he will with another Sec
retary of State approve a reversal of
any of the present policies, particular
ly that with Russia.
Recognition of Russia may come-it
might have happened under Mr..
Hughes, if the Soviet government had
agreed to fulfill the conditions set by
him-but circumstances abroad and
not here will bring about the change.
The new Secretary of State, Mr..
Kellogg, feels exactly as President
Coolidge does about property rights
and the sanctity of contracts and COM
munism.
If the Democratic party were in
power, there might be some ground
for the belief that change would
ensue, but the policy adopted toward
that which the main supporters of the
Republican party in America heartily
indorse. Russia may have her own
form of government. but she must
agree not to attempt to overthrow
Americas. She may have her own
views about contracts as between
Russians, but if she wishes American
recognition she must be willing TO
abide by contracts made by American
citizens. And Furthermore she must
not feel that she can repudiate all
| her debts.
There are various reasons why
President Coolidge would like to
| recognize Russia. The friendship of
| the American people for the Russian
| people is traditionally strong. The
| Russian masses may be considered to
| be the tools of group of political
| manipulators. but the United States
/ Government took its time about rec
! ogniZing Mexico until specific as
| surance was given as to the willing
ness of the government there to full
fill international, obligations, and there
is no special hurry manifest in ex-
ecutive quarters about recognizing a
government that is SO much more re-
mote from the United States.
The cabinet has not been divided
on the Russian policy. Some of the
strongest arguments against Russian
recognition under circumstances that
have existed have been made by Her
bert Hoover, Secretary of Commerce.
1t is true that Senator Borah, chair
man of the Senate foreign relations
committee, is friendly to the Soviet
government and that he and others
on Capitol Hill are seizing upon the
change in the Department of State to
revive their arguments in favor of
recognition of the Russian govern
ment.
France, it is pointed out, has recog-
nized Russia, but in answer to that
the contention is made that expe-
diency and not logic dictated the
course. Britain's policy under the
Macdonald regime more or less in
f1uenced the Herriot administration.
America does not suffer financial loss
to the same extent as do European
countries by Withholding recognition
and there is more of an opportunity
in Washington to stick by a prin-
ciple than there is abroad.
Mr.. Hughes was uncompromising in
his attitude. Mr.. Coolidge did insert
in his last message to Congress
word of friendship to Russia which
Mr. Hughes might have thought fu
tile, but which did not, on the other
hand, promise reversal in policy.
Commission Might Result.
The most that may come as a re-
suit of the Borah influence with the
President, which is not inconsiderable,
is a Willingness to send commission
to discuss with the Soviet government
a formula for the resumption of diplo-
matte relations. Such a commission
was finally established to deal with
the Mexican problem. The negotia-
tions might result in public assur-
ances which would make possible rec
ognition, or it might define the bar
riers so clearly as to remove the sub
ject from consideration until Russia
saw the necessity of adjusting her
policies to those of the outside world.
Mr.. Coolidge had the deepest re-
spect and admiration for the Hughes
viewpoint on foreign policy. He
would have given great deal to per-
suade Mr.. Hughes to remain. He
urged him repeatedly to reconsider.
Under those circumstances it is err
roneous to suppose that minor diff
ferences led to the resignation or
that anything else except what was
written in the official correspondence
actually brought about the resigna-
tion of one of Americas greatest
Secretaries of State.
Copyright, 1929