The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-08-24
BY William Philip Simms

By William lIuIp CiIiiHlS
MOSCOW (By MaiD-Henry Ford
has just sold 10000 tractors to the
Russians. Also lot of spare parts.
This single deal represents
$5,OOO,OOO. that's a lot of money.
Yet Ford extended the Communists
ten months credit the first credit,
was told, he ever extended to any
body.
Not only that, but he is prepar-
ing to establish service stations all
over the country, which will mean
more sales and more long-term
credit.
If this does not mean the tide has
turned for Russia, nothing does.
Henry Ford has the reputation of
being as hard-boiled a business man
as there is in hard boiled United
States. Nobody has ever accuesd
:. him of being in business for his
ealth. .4l44sIAa "a
" Other Business
The American Tool Works, of
Cincinnati, also does a big business
with Russia, some of their more inn
portant orders being on part credit
basis. Their representative say the
business has been at all time salts
factory.
The same story is told by other
American concerns, cotton mer'
chants, makers of machinery, bank
ers and so on. Reeve Schley, vice
president of the Chase National
Bank of New York, said they had
been doing business with Russian
organizations, both in America and
in Russia, for the past two years
and their experience throughout had
been satisfactory.
Over 700 American firms are now
doing business with Russia on an
admittedly satisfactory basis. And
the number is constantly growing.
The story is also true of Germany,
Britain, France, Holland, Sweden
and other countries.
Wild Days Passing =
Which means that the era Of a
wild and woolly Russia, where
irresponsible and rampant com.
munism was rushing blindly into
mistake after mistake, is over. In
stead there is a Russia, still COM
munist if you WILL, but becoming
practical as the result Of hard
knocks.
have talked this over with
several Soviet officials. They every
one admit Russia must meet her
- obligations religiously if she is to
&urvive.
- The Russia Of today is as different
from the Russia of three or four
years ago as day is from night. The
Russia of tomorrow will be different
still.
Communist in Name Only
1t looks very much as though
Communist Russia is here to stay
at least for some time to come. But
Russia is already becoming Com
munist in name only.
The United States is a Christian
country. But when the President
and his Cabinet or the Congress sit
down to work out American policy
and American laws they do not first
say: "Now what would Christ dc
were He doing this thing?" They
do what they consider the practical
thing.
Similarly Russia is a Communist
country. Today, however, her rulers
are consulting less andsless what the
puro Communist would do in the
circumstances and instead are striv.
ing to find practical solutions of
their difficulties.
This is something that Americans
do not know. They are still being
told raw-head-and-blood bones stor-
les about the bolsheviki and how
Russia is spending her time devising
ways and means to plant the red
flag on the White House. Which is
sheer nonsense.
Theoretically Russia still would
like to see a dictatorship of the
proletariat" established all over the
world. But today she is waking
from any such dream and Is begin
ming to realize she has her hands
AsXery full indeed running her own
Tomorrow she will be fully awake