Evening star., 1933-11-05
|BORAHRECOCN|T|0N
"PRECEDENT" IS HIT
u. S..Soviet Relations Plan
Not Declared Parallel to
French in 1893.
BY FRANK w. HUTCHINS.

TIcIICII Ill IlSS.
BY FRANK w. HUTCHINS.
America is again trying to make up
her mind about Russia-and references
frequently cite supposed parallel be-
tween the recognition of Russia and
the recognition Of France of French
Revolution days. Senator Borah, for
instance. finds in. this recognition of
the French Republic by President
Washington in 1898 high precedent"
pointing straight to-the recognition of
Russia. That high precedent" as he
has been urging it, is briefly this: That
Washington recognized g French gov
ernment fully as revolutionary and
radical, fully as meddleSOme in the af-
! fairs of other nations. as is Soviet Rus
! Sia. and that the wisdom of his course
! was proved by Frances vicious propa-
ganGa here being discontinued within
a very short time after that recognition
! took place"
! Perhaps Mr. Borah made the best
| short statement of his high precedent"
! at the last session of Congress, when,
| on April II, he said.
1T will be rememhered-I think it
was in 1892 or 1793-that Washington
! sent word to his cabinet to convene in
| cabinet session. He advised them that
| he was going to consider the question
| of the recognition of the improviSed
revolutionary government of France"
Question of Receiving Envoy.
We interrupt the Senator here to get
| fully the setting Of that famous cabinet
meeting OF 1893. AT that time revolu-
/ tiOnary France had formed as re-
/ nd ho nj tad ictp q
| to the United States. That raised a
| Guestion-should or should not Wash
| ington receive the Minister. and so give
recognition to the French Republic?
! But before the Minister arrived to
! make that question pressing, France
ana England went to war. The danger
now of the United States being drawn
| into the conflict raised new questions
quite dWarfing the matter as to recelv-
ing the French Minister.
And then it was that Washington
! called that cabinet meeting of April,
1893. Called it, not to consider the
recognition of the French government
as Senator Borah indicates, but to
consider the alarming position of the
United States in the war between
France and England. Here is his letter
Summoning the cabinet members:
The posture of affairs in Europe.
particularly between France and Great
! Britain. places the United States in 4
delicate situation, and requires much
consideration of the measures which
will be proper for them to observe i'll
the war between these powers. With a
view to forming a general plan Of con-
duct for the executive. I have stated
and inclosed sundry questions to be
considered preparatory to a meeting
at my -GouSe tomorrow where ! shall
expect to see you at 9 O'Clock to receive
the result of your reflection thereon y
Borah Describes Recognition"
However among those ''sundry ques-
tions" accompanying this letter was one
as to receiving the French Minister;
matter for consideration. But not at
all as Mr.. BOrah sees it. Senator Borah
said quoting again from the Con-
greSsional Record of last April 12)
AT the time that note CWashinston's
to his cabineD was sent out the govern
ment Of France consisted OF what was
known as the Committee of Public
ton. and afterWard Robespierre
The guillotine was running red every
morning and from 25 to so people were
being executed day after day on the
guillotine. Under these crcum-
stances. Washington called his cabinet
together to consider the question OF
recognizing the government of France
as it then existed. Such was the
cabinet. and such were the forces and
influences with which they had to con-
tend in passing upon the question be-
fore them. Yet after less than one hour
of discussion the cabinet determined to
recognize the Committee of Public Safe
ty or the government of France as it
then was"
There is Senator Borah's vivid picture
of Washington recognizing the French
Republic. Attempting to show that
Russia should be recognized. the Sem
ator dWells upon what an awful France
George washington took to his bosom.
Doubt Expresseds~
Yet the fact is that Washington did
not recognize that Infamous Committee
of Public Safety. He did not even know
of its existence!
The committee took over the govern
ment of France upon the sixth of that
April Of 1893; the American cabinet
meeting was upon the nineteenth. But
the vide Atlantic rolled between. Sen
ator Borah has said that the reign of
the Committee of Public Safety began
"l2 days before the writing Of this cab
met letter. But that would mean
nothing to Washington. In those times
Of the little ship and the slow sail IL
days would not reach half across the
ocean. No, the Senator has Washington
recognizing the evil Committee of Public
Safety as the government of France
when he could not have even known
that it was the government of France.
Senator Borah shows Washington rec
cgnizing France with the guillotine
running red every morning" The Sem
ator is describing the days of the Ter
ror. The Terror and such guillotine
scenes as the Senator describes were not
until Midsummer. Even the slight ap-
proach to them earlier Washington
could not have known about
Further Argument.
Further on in his argument before the
Senate, Senator Borah seeks the support
CT Washins,tons own declarations:
When President Washington was
asked why he would recognize a govern
ment in whose principles he utterly dis
believed, he stated that it was a bloody
road over which France was travelling to
democracy, but it was the only road over
which she could ever reach democratic
form of government"
OF course the Senator is here putting
words into Washington's mouth that he
thinks fairly paraphrase actual utter
anceS. But there are no recorded utter
anceS OF Washington that will support
the words and implications of this sup
posed conversation.
Notwithstanding the Senator's posi-
ton and. indeed, the authority of some
textbooks, the fact surely is that WASH
ington's recognition of France consti-
tutes no real precedent c'high'' or
otherwiSc) as to Americas recognition