The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-10-27
RUSSIAN RECOGNITION


friends of the administration. 1t means a
return to the ideals and procedure which gave
us an enviable world reputation as protag-
onist of social progress and political expert
mentation
At the same time, this move to facilitate
recognition probably will bring forth tempo
rary revival of the campaign of misinforma-
d ton which has supported our lamentable
Russian policy of the last decade and half.
1t may be we'll to anticipate this by exposing
the shallow character of the arguments
against recognition. All of the old "duds"
which have been fired in years past we're re-
Gently brought forth and busted off by Thomas
F. Daily in a long letter to the New York
Times:
The Soviet leaders refusal to acknowledge
Russias debts to American citizens.
The apparent instability of their govern
ment and the evidence Of a ruthless tyranny
to keep the people in subsection.
Their program of fanaticism in which they
cast aside most of the long-recognized essen
tials of just and orderly government.
Their announced determination to force
this program not only upon the Russian peo-
pie but also upon all the people of the world
and their actual participation in attempts to
overthrow our own and other governments by
propaganda and advocacy of force
Their published statements to the effect
that no agreement which they might enter
into with any "capitalistic" nation would they
consider binding upon them.
Let us look into the validity of these argu-
ments, since they represent about everything
which can possibly be adduced against our rec
ignition of the Russian republic.
We have not severed diplomatic relations
with France or our other European debtors be-
cause they have failed to pay their just debts
to u.s. And the situation is even more fragrant
with respect to our European debtors than it
is in regard to Russia since the debts which
the latter has repudiated were those of the old
and discredited czarist regime. We have main
tanned open diplomatic relations with scores
of countries which repeatedly have re-
pudated their debts with no such excuse as
can be invoked by Russia.
Revolution and the use of force have not
notably affected our recognition policy in the
past. The French revolutionary government a
century and a half ago seized power by force
and murdered the royal family in cold-blooded
fashion. This did not, however, prevent even
the sainted Washington from recognizing the
new French government. Mr.. Daily also seems
to forget that our own nation came into being
as a result of force and that it might have
gone very hard with George III if the revolu-
tionary fathers had been able to lay their
hands on him.
1t is downright incredible that any one to-
day should raise the argument Of instability
against the Russian government. 1t Is prob
able that no other government in the world
today could have maintained itself in the face
of the same difficulties which have had to be
met by Soviet Russia since 1917. Even H. L.
Mencken, one of the most fervent Of Soviet
baiters today. comedies that Stain stands head
and shoulders above any other figure in the
world TODAY as an astute and forceful political
leader.
It is quite true that Russia is devoted IA
natically to communism and social justice,
but what about the fanaticism which prevails
in Germany Italy and Japan. and is devoted
to far more ignoble endsf We have not
deemed 1t necessary 10 WlVL1lOIo IecOS11GlOH
from these countries.
One of the most notable changes which has
come over the Russian government in the last
decade has been its abandonment Of the effort
to promote worldwide revolution and its con-
centration upon purely Russian problems Yet,
even If Russia had continued its propaganda,
this would constitute no sufficient reason for
withholding recognition. We carried on
powerful propaganda for republcanisn for
many decades after 1776, particularly in Latin
America 1t is we'll to remember that repub-
lcanism terrified the monarchsts of that day
as much as communism alarms the capitalists
of today.
1t is a well-establiShed fact that Russia has
executed her economic and financial agree
ments with other countries during the last
decade with greater rigor and promptness
than shown by any other major European
state in its dealing with the United States
Mr.. DAILY winds up with the insStence that
for us to recognize Russia would mean "our
going back on those principles upon which our
nation was founded and for which millions of
our citizens have suffered and died"
The most relevant retort here is that it
would be a splendid thing for Mr. DAILY to read
little history and actually acquaint himself
with those principles for which he expresses
such fervent admiration.
Hollywood is supposed to have lost more