Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-26
SOV|ETS ANGERED
. BY U. S. RED PROBE
Government Organ Brands
Fish Questions "Unfair
and Absurd"
By the Associated Press.

\ MO0OOW, July ZO.-1hNeSUlh, organ
of the Soviet government, today edi-
torially accuses the United States Gov
eminent of having inteffered with the
internal affairs of the Soviet Union
through the Fish Congressional Com
mission. The newspaper charges the
commission with violation of the ele-
mentafy requirements Of international
law.
Amtorg Questioning Embitters Soyiets.
Izvestia is particularly bitter over the
form of questions asked of Peter Bog
danoff, chairman of the board of
Amtorg Trading Corporation, especially
those relating to Amtorg's alleged po-
litical activities and aims of the Com
munist International in the United
States and the actions Of certain Rus
slams. Among these are M. Serebrta-
koff, who was exiled with Leon Trotsky;
M. G. Gurevitch, In 1928 acting chair
man of Amtorg, and a specialist In
aniline chemicals; Victor Nogin, now
the Lenin cabinet and director OF the
All-Russian Cooperative Society, and
M. Piatakoff, noted economist and In
1925 general director Of Amtorg IN New
York, later a foe of Stain.
The newspaper also challenges the
questioning seeking to flx connection
of An1torg officers with tSle secret police:
These anti-Soviet dsmonstrat ons,
the editorial goes on, have for their
purpose the destruction of the wide
economic connections between the
United States and the Soviet Union Tor
the benefit of the small, limited inter-
ests of certain groups. Such CAM
paign can only lead to serious difficult
ties for the Soviet-American trade and
serious damage TO American financial
and industrial interests"
Criminal Advisers Charged.
Izvestia characterized the commits
sion's questions to Soviet witnesses as
"seditious, indecent, tmpudent, absurd
and ignorant" The newspaper further
declares the commission Is assisted In
its work by interpreters and ADVISERS
drawn from among White Russian emf
grants, adventures, gambling house
keepers and other representatives OF the
criminal world,
Leading circles in New York and
Washington" concludes the article,
must decide whether the conduct OF
the commission corresponds with the
real interests of the United States"
Discussing the situation with Ameri-
cans here, Litvinoff, foreign chief, inti-
mated that the Soviet government
would make formal protest to the
United States Government against the
"unwarrantable and unprecedented in
reference of the Fish Commission into
the affairs Of the Soviet Union, If nor
NAL diplomatic relations existed be-
tween the two countries"
Boycott Threatened.
The new chief of Soviet foreign affairs
has given warning that his country may
sharply reduce, or even halt, Its pur-
chases in countries which impose OBJ
stacles to the admission of Soviet
products.
The threat was interpreted as being
directed principally against the United
States. An embargo recently was placed
on Russian timber, coal and matches
entering American ports.
M. Litvinod charged that hostile cap
italistic countries were attempting to
wreck the Soviet Unions entire foreign
trade, since "the reduction of our ex-
port trade must inevitably involve a
corresponding reduction OF imports"
Warns Of Soviet Power.
He warned that policy of exclusion
from world trade Of such vast state
as the Soviet Union" might injure the
excluding country more than Russia. in
view of the worlds present economic
condition.
Litvinoff's statement comes at the
same time as the action of the United
States Treasury in barring large ship
mentS of Russian pulpwood and an
of the American Manga
nese Producers Association of plans to
appeal for similar embargo on Rus
sian manganese.
Seymour Lowman, Assistant Secretary
Of the Treasury, ordered customs col
lectors to deny admittance to large con-
signments of Russian pulpwood pur-
chased by the international Paper Co.
The action was taken on information
that Russian convicts had assisted In
loading the shipments, since a tariff
provision fofbids the importation of
goods on which convict labor has
worked.
Manganese Dumping" Is ChaFged.
The campaign against Soviet man |
yaneSe, an ore which Is essential to the |
production of steel, is headed by j. Car |
son Anderson. president of the Anneri- !
Fan Manganese Producers Association. |
In a letter to Representative Hamilton |
Fish, jr., head of the congressional |
committee investigating Communism, |
ne urged an inquiry into Soviet dump |
ng" of manganese. He said the Rus |
slams were shipping in the product re- |
yardless Of the cost Of production and |
we're "wrecking the American man |
yansse industry" closing plants and in
creasing unemployment.
.------e
Australian Wheat at High Figure. |
SYDNEY, Australia, July IS (P.-- |
rhl wheat harvest for Australia, in