Evening star., 1928-03-08

Pound Five million dollars Of gold
Owner may recover by proving prop
crty. Address Uncle Sam"
It's as good as sold.' yet the United
States Government refuses to accept II
for assay, at the mint, unless our Gov
ernment. which does not speak" to tas
Soviet government. can induce some
body else to buy that gold and run MS
chances OF being convicted OF keeping
fence" for stolen property, and so ol
having to lose what he paid for 1t ii'
ease that Eomanofr Princess AnastheSis
rhould reclaim the Russian throne. Bu'
Anas.hcsia tor Anastasia) still sleeps
upon her ancsthctic incosnito.
The s5,0o0,000 has been sent from
Russia TO two New York international
hanks for deposit, as a basis OF credit, sc
that the Soviet government may use II
to buy agricultural implements and
other much-needed merchandise.
II would add to our own export trade
II would give employment to million
Of our idle men for ono day, at 81
each: 1t might persuade the Bolsheviks
10 love us. But We decline TO accept II
even on deposit, so long as credit mus,
b. given to the unrecognized Soviet
government OF u. s. s. r. No Russian
can buy imports except tn. Soviet gov
ernment itself.
The New York banks have refused tc
buy the gold IN their own name. ont of'
fer To handle II only as agents OF thc
Rursian government. This Is not satS'
tat
II H an axiom of law that the prin'
cipsl Is responsible for the acts OF It's
agents. but tn" axiom would not protec'
the banks, II the. principal In this cas'
set up disputed claim OF ownership
against other claimants. involving HIi'
CATION under International laws ana be'
tween pretcndcrs of thrones and prin'
cipalitics.
Our laws permit any owner" of golf
Ia bring IL 10 the mint 10 be co'nef
into money. free and unlimited" the
banks cannot use IL unless IL be coined
and II cannot be coined until Us own
ership Is identified and proved, Th'
Government raises doubts MS 10 III
legitimate ownership by the Soviet gov
| ernment inferring that It IA conflscat'
ed. which does not carry title
What a golden bait, II We tnol
! gold from the Soviet government W.
would have To give receipt To tht
Soviet government. and that would b'
tantamount 10 recognizing that as th'
government OF Russia, de factn,
The same kind Of golden bait was
dangled before us In 1920. when Secfe
| tnry OF State Hughes ruled that so Ions
az rafltEaA tn that the SnNlH
| government exists Just so long we can
not know that their government ha'
| true ownership OF the gold they arr
handling, Our policy Is to refuse rec
ognition de jure of anV government
which reaches power bv force ana rev
OlntiOn. or de facto Of the Russian gov
eminent. which refuses IN assume tn
indebtedness and obligations OF TN
government H. succeeds
The Kerensky government did ~
recognize the debts of the Cgars gov
frnment. although kerensky overthres
tbs itomanofis, To this day there Il
AZ agenl Of the kerensky government
located In New York. who In engaged
IN strengthening up the accounts ot tn,
0verthroWn kerensky regime. and al
The money he collects, beyond hi
overhead" is paid to the unites
States and applied 10 the Russian debt
For example, the Kaensky government
lost millions 0f dollars worth nf mu
niti0ns IN the explosion of ammunition
| IN New Jersey snine years ago i.atel'
NJ, y, Uahet, the kerensky agent .of
flcially known as the Russian imam
ctal attache of the Russian embassy |,
Washington, succeeded IN collecting
claims agalnat the tehiah Valley Rail
road which was responsible for the los
munitions, since they were IN It's pos
aesAi0n as common carrier. and as soot
ss The money was collected from thi
railroad company II Was paid 10 tn,