The daily worker., 1931-08-04

percentage of the purchase price to pay to the
original owners of the oil wells. The Standard
and the Vacuum were invited to join in the
arrangement but refused, and these actions are
brought with the view of forcing them to make
similar arrangements. The present cases rest
on the technical ground that Russia is not rec
ogni8ed by the government of the United States
and that our courts give no effect to its de-
creeS. This is not a novel principle or an at
tempt to establish a precedent, but settled law.
1t was invoked in numerous cases against the
National City Bank by its Russian depositors
and against the New York Life Insurance Com
pany and the Equitable Life Assurance ASsocia-
ton by their Russian policyholders. The present
actions are of similar character" (Quoted
from Morris Hillquits statement in the New
Leader).
These are the facts as stated by Morris Hill
quit Stripped of the legal verbiage and in words
that anyone can understand the situation is this
Two American oil companies bought some oil
from the Soviet Government. Because the Amer
lean government has not recognized the Soviet
Union, the White Russian companies claim that
this oil still belongs to them and that the Amer
lean concerns have bought stolen oil. These Rus
sian firms are now suing the American for the
value OF this oil Cor as much as they can get.
Morris Hillquit has been hired by them to ad-
wise and help them get their money
If you own an automobile, and I steal it, and
then sell it to a third party you can get it back
from that third party because in the eyes of the
law 1t still belongs to you This is precisely the
nature of this case. The White Russians for
merly owned this Baku oil they claim that the
Soviet Union stole 1t from them and they are
trying to get the value of the oil back from the
American oil companies to whom it was sold by
the Soviet Union.
This is the case which Morris Hilluuit says
is an ordinary dispute over property rights; this
is the case which he says involves no question
of Socialist principle. Says Hillquit I" the
actions are of no political significance :" "The
Soviet oil trust received full payment and these
actions do not affect it directly or indirectly
1t is purely monetary dispute between different
capitalist concerns. - Every one of these
statements cries out in shame; every one of these
statements convicts Hillquit of hiding behind q
lawyers technicality. Everybody knows that il
this case is won by these White Russians the
Soviet Government is injured; that other con-
Germs doing business with the Soyiets will be
sued on similar grounds; that it will be more
difficult for the Russian government to sell theil
products; that American firms will demand more
favorable terms wheE they buy Soviet goods
and that many firms will refuse to enter into
business relations with government which in
our courts can be put into the position tech
nically of a thief. Every worker and friend
of the Soviet knows that the other cases men
TONED by Hillquit as being of "a similar char
acter" have made things more difficult for the
Soviet And finally every Socialist should be
able TO see that any financial aid received BY
White Russian groups will enable them to carry
on their reactionary and counter Revolutionary
schemes more effectively
Members of the Socialist Party and all work
ers, appeal to you. Are these matters of no
political significance? Are these ordinary cases
involving no question of Socialist principle?
Are actions such as these "of no injury to the
Soviet Government" directly or indirectly? And
yet these are the statements with which Morris
Hlllqut chairman of the National Executive
Committee of the Socialist Party defends him
self and this case. What are you going to do
about this?