The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-11-03
BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS
Scrfnns- Howard Foreign Editor

BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS
scripps- Howard Foreign Editor
WASHINGTON, Nov. 3-One Of
the strangest claims hearings in
the history Of international dealings
will follow the White HOues talks
between President Roosevelt and
Russian Foreign Commissar Litvin-
Off the two can agree on funda-
mentals.
For while the United States and
the wartime allies have advanced
claims against Russia aggregating
$4,000. 900. 900, Russia has set up
counter claims against the Allies and
the United States, on account of
Intervention, for a sum far in eX-
cess of that figure.
Up to the present, America
claims against the Soviet Union
amount to a lite more than $780,
100000 a mere fraction of the total.
Thus. while this easily could be
met by the Moscow government, the
American claim has no priority over
that of the allies, and any settle
ment this country might make with
Russia would be the signal for sim
liar terms for them.
Loans Are Included
Russia, therefore, will deal warily
with the United States if and when
her experts and those speaking for
America finally meet.
OF the total American claim,
$193 900, 900 is on account of adj
vances to the provisional govern
ment which succeeded that of En-
perOr Nicholas II in 1917. A sec
Ond item represents a S75,O000 900
loan privately made in this country
to the czarist regime just before its
overthrow. The third item OF
S430, 100000 is for miscellaneous
losses alleged to have been suffered
by Americans on account of confis-
cations following the Bolshevist
revolution. The balance is for in
terest.
So far as the first two items are
concerned, it will be a simple matter
to agree on the exact amount Russia
obtained from the United States
whether or not it ever is repaid. 1t
s is all set down in black and white,
\ or maybe red, in the ledgerS of the
United States treasury.
Claims Are Padded
But the claims and damages
arising from alleged confiScation is
a horse of another color. 1t is a
matter of record that the Bolshe-
&c ~
1917-1918, nationalized all private
property. both of its own citizens
and foreigners, but the estimates
of the value of such properties are
as far apart as the poles.
1t is the custom. in filing inter
national claims. to do an immense
amount of padding. All parties
Americans. the allies and the
RuSsians-now are suspected Of
having followed tradition, the Rus
slams even more than the others.
For their claims-originally adj
vanced by Foreign Commissar
Litvinoff's predecessor, Chicherin,
at Genoa-soared as high as $780,
600 900 900, though they later were
to drop as low as 100000 900 plus
a good, big loan.
Damages Are Small
The American claim for $430,000,-
900 due to confiscation of banks,
cash, industrial and commercial
concerns, buildings, insurance COM
panieS and so on, yet may be in
creased further, once the claimants
think they see some chance of re-
covering.
That does not mean, however,
that they will get the amount of
their claims. Far from it. 1t is
estimated that the average amounts
recovered in such cases seldom ex-
coed 3 per cent of the sums de-
manded.
The Mexican claims commission
of 1868. state department records
reveal, had before it LOTT American
claims aggregating $47O,126,00O,
and Mexican claims against the
United States totaling $50, SCI 900.
Yet the Americans recovered only
S4125 800. and of this insignificant
sum. the United States subsequent
" voluntarily returned S1,170,851 to
MEXICO because II ClSCONOlSO lAldO
two of the largest claims were
fraudulent.
British Filed Claims
The Mexicans we're awarded $780,
4a8 or less than one-fifth of one
per cent of the amount asked.
A somewhat similar case grew out
of the Civil war. British subjects
filed claims against the United
States aggregating $4,000 900, but
were awarded only S1936,819, or 2
per cent.
The archives of the state depart
ment contain many records OF such
cases as these-of colossal sums de-
manded and ridiculously small sums
awarded. Nevertheless, almost in
variably it required years Of diplo-
matte parleyS to reach a settlement.
This explains why President
Roosevelt hardly will go beyond dis
cussing principles in his talks with
Foreign Minister Litvinoff. but will
leave the vast array Of details for
experts to handle later on.
Next: Russia's Claims Against
America.