Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-07
SOVIET WILLING TO DISCUSS u.
WAR DEBTS, BARLEY FINDS
Senator Returning From
Moscow Convinced of
Changed Conditions.
Believes U. S. viii Have to
Consider Formal Recog-
milton Soon.
BY WILLIAM RUFUS SCOTT.

bx WILLIAM RUFUS SUIT.
Soviet Russia, as recently seen BY
Senator Alben w. Barley. Democrat
of Kentucky, is showing greater prog
ress, stability and order than he had
expected to find. and Soviet officials
frankly discussed such issues as re-
pudiated war debts. recognition by the
United States, credits, alleged convict
made goods sold to American firms, COL
lective farming, religious Antagonism
and other subjects.
That Soviet officials are ready to ne
gotiate on the loans made by the
! United States during the World War to
| the Kerensky government, which ex-
| listed about six months prior to the
Communist assumption of power, in
1917. and on conf1scated private prop
erty Of Americans, with accumulated
interest now amounting to about $780,
600 1000, was the conviction Senator
Barley brings back. but he found the
officials unwilling to admit in advance
any liability. They felt such admis-
sion would vitiate negotiations, from
their viewpoint, at the outset.
More Obdurate on Cars Claims.
AS for the debts of the former
Czarist government. amounting, to Eu-
ropean nations principally, to severs0
billions of dollars, the Soviet officials
are more obdurate, but here, as with the
other debts to foreign nations and citi-
zens, the Soviet puts forward counter
claims running into huge figures. The
presence in Russia Of American and
Allied troops in 1918 and 1919, the
Soviet contention goes, resulted in
losses to Russia, and to claims for Rus
slams killed, which Soviet Russia asks
to be balanced against outside claims.
The question of convict-made goods
shipped to America was acute while
Senator Barley was in Moscow. He
says Soviet officials offered him, and
Senator Wheeler of Montana, and Gut
ting OF New Mexico, airplanes to fly to
lumber camps or to manganese ore
mines, to see for themselves that the
lumber, or pulp-wood, or manganese and
other products sold to the United States
were not being produced by convict or
enforced labor, In the ordinary defini-
ton Of the word.
Declare ExiIes Are Paid.
Some Russians exiled to Siberia and
other remote areas of the nation for
political offenses are working in such
production but Soviet officials contended
that such workers receive the wages
usually paid. and are not convicts. but
living and working freely, with the ex-
ception that they are not allowed to re-
turn to the sections from which they
had been exiled. These workers, it was
stated, are not criminals in the usual
sense, but were deemed opponents of
the prevailing Communist regime.
Senator Barley did not have the
time to make the trips suggested.
Soviet officials were apprehensiVe Of q
movement to exclude all Russian prod
ucts from the United States. They as
serted they amounted to only about one
sixth of the $3.50 ,000, 900 worth of goods
bought in the United States by Soviet
Russia. and that in boycott game
the United States had most to lose.
Soviet Desires Credit.
Credits are more desired by Soviet
Russia now than recognition, he found.
Ofilcials frankly said that in the earlier
years Of the Communist experiment It
was deemed that recognition by the
United States was vital, but that hav-
ing survived 13 years without such
recognition, it was considered that
recognition was not q paramount requi-
site, although the desire for 1t remains
chases Of American machinery and
products, would be facilitated by rec
ignition, 1t was conceded. Soviet on
Gals declared that every contract made
with Americans for purchases has been
met to the letter and argued that this
justified confidence in granting further
loans, in their talks with Senator Bark
ley.
For the present the Soviet govern
Dc axyfvn 10 tn al
countries by exporting everything that
can be spared and making the Russian
people tighten their belts and do with
out many things to permit such ex-
portations. Food is closely rationed to
the people by the card system, and
the Soviet, after making this meager
allowance to the people Is selling food
stuffs, including wheat, to other ma
lions. Furs, as well as the lumber,
manganese, oil and other products men
toned are being sold abroad and the
proceeds used to pay for goods bought
in countries where credits are limited
or non-existent.
Ffve-Year Plan Uneven.
The five-year plan Of economic de-
velopment, Senator Barley was told
by Soviet of1cials has passed expecta-
tions in some respects and Jagged be-
IlIIlU III ObLiCEc, Oub, VII OiAc WAiolC, 10
ahead Of the program laid out, and will
be finished a year ahead Of time. This
includes state farming, as well as trans
portation, mining, manufacturing and
all other activities under Socialistic
control.
Hundreds of American engineers,
technical assistants, mechanics, farm
advisers and others were found at work
helping the Soviet government TO master
the problems of setting up a COM
munist state. Senator Barley found
everywhere high admiration Tor Amer
lean industrial ability, manifested by
workers and peasants no less than by
leaders.
On one of the largest of the state
farms he saw American agricultural
machinery in operation and the workers
being paid wages as Is the system in in
illstry, but there remain millions OF in
dividual small farms, and the coop
eratives, or organizations OF peasants
to buy their own machinery and harvest
crops in common. Soviet leaders ex-
pressed confidence that the COLLECTIVE
cation program would both increase the
food supply to the people and permit
a larger export business.
Sees u. s. Goods Market Gain.
AS the wealth Of Russia increases,
the market for American goods will in
crease. Senator Barley judges, though
the aim of the Soviet regime Is 10
equip Russia to make everything for
itself. with 15O,000,000 population
which never have known even a mod
crate scale OF luxuries, and many VINO
never have known ordinary necessities,
measured by American standards. the
capacity to absorb Russian output Is
deemed ample for decades TO come,
and makes purchases abroad, TOO.
number of textile mills we're closed
during his visit from lack of cotton.
The operatives went out to help the
peasants harvest crops, and when they
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