Evening star., 1933-11-18
TRADITION BROKEN
IN SOVIET ACCORD
Every Vital Point Settled
Before, Not After, Protocol
Was Signed.
Continued From First Page. }

avoWed aims are the overthrow of the
o capitahstic regime throughout the
S world.
It happens, however. that Joseph
Stain, present chief executive of the
= Soviet is also a member of the pre-
A sidlum of the Executive Committee of
= the Third Internationale and as such.
not later than in January, 1880. ad-
: dressing the American Communists
e present in Moscow. urged them to take
advantage Of the economic crisis in the
, United States and by active revolution
ary means and by the force of arms to
i bring about the overthrow Of the
r cspitalistic system. Nobody here has
any quarrel with the statements S ain
made at that time. but by the solemn
! pledge the Russian government has
= given the American Government
through its fully empowered repre-
sentative, Litv.noff, S-alin and the
4 other members of the Third Inter-
rationale who are in government serv-
: ice will henceforth be restrained from
making such speecho..
= Deny U. S. Foes a Haven.
But in his pledge to prevent propa-
+, ganda in the United States. Mr.. Lit
vinof has gone even a step further,
, pledging the Russian government in
4
the formation or residence on its terri
tory tthe Soviet territory of any or
ganizatton or group-and to prevent
the activity on its territory of any or
ganization or group or of representa-
tiveS or officials of any organization or
group-which has as its aim the over
throw or the preparation for an over
throw of. or the bringing about by
force of change in the political or
social order Of the whole or any part
OF the United States, its territories or
possessions"
BY this pledge. juridically. the Soviet
government will be compelled to tolerate
no longer the existence in Russia of
the American section of the Third In
ternationale, whose aim is the over
throw OF the present American constitu-
tional government.
No other nation which has concluded
propaganda arrangements with the
Soviet government after granting that
government recognition. has obtained
such complete and unequivocal guar
anteeS.
The administration Is full Of praise
ior the handsome way in which the
, Soviet government has acouiesced in the
Presidents demands that there shall be
left no loophole for future controversies
AS matter of fact it is on this issue
and on the issue of the freedom of re-
ligious worship. that Mr. Roosevelt has
beer most inSiStent. He made it clear
, LitvinoH that unless these moral
questions were clearly settled, it was
useless to discuss recognition.
The SoviPt commisSar for foreign af-
fairs came to Washington with the i'm
preston that he would find the Presi-
dent and the American Government in
7 @Nf1
ments with whom he had dealt In OBJ
tanning recognition. That is to say.
that the possible material advantages
! would outweigh the moral considera-
tions to such an extent that the Ameri-
can Government would gladly sign the
recognition protocol lured by the hand
some profits deriving from the orders
the Soviet intends to place in this coun-
try, The President. to the surprise of
the Soviet government, paid little atten-
ton to the material side of the question
leaving 1t as a secondary matter to be
settled by his experts. but insisted on
the moral issues. The United States Is
| the only country IN the world which
/ has placed these issues ahead of the
probable material plans of recognition.
Religious Freedom Insisted.
In his letter to Litvinoff, the Presi-
dent insisted on the free exercise OF
liberty OF conscience and religious Wor-
ship and avoidance Of persecution Of
American nationals on account of their
religious faith or worship" He indi-
Gated that he expected the Americans
residing in Russia to be allowed to
, worship and follow their religious be-
lefS and rites without hindrance.
The Soviet government agreed to all
these points. 1t recognizes the right
OF all Americans Ito free exercise Of
liberty of conscience and religious
worship and protection from all dis
ability or persecution on account Of
their religious faith or worship"
1t is true that nationals of other
countries have under the Soviet law
of April 8, 1929. the general right IT,
freedom of belief" This, however, is
an abstract right confined to the
thought of the individual. There is
nothing equivocal, however, regarding
the American citizens who are per-
mitted full enjoyment of their reli-
giouS ceremonials
/, Furthermore, American nationals liv-
ing in Russia have been granted the
right to "impart religious instruction
to their children either Singly or in
, groups or to have such instruction i'm
, parted by persons whom they may en-
ploy for such purpose" This is a
. clear exemption for the American citi-
zenS of a universal law which exists
, today in Russia and does not permit
group teaching Of religion to individuals
. under the age OF l8.
The Soviet government was quick in
abandoning its claims for damages
caused by the activities Of military
forces OF the United States in Siberia
This was due. Litvinoff stated in his
. letter to the President, Ito our CONVEX
sations and following my examination
of certain documents of the years 1918
to 1921 relating to the attitude of the
American Government toward the ex-
pedition into Siberia, the operations
there of foreign military forces and the
inviolability Of the territory of the
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Given Access to Papers.
LitVinoff had been given access to the
, documents relating to the causes Of the
, | American expedition into Siberia He
read there that President Wilson de-
Cided to send an eXpeditionary force
only when it became obvious that Jap
anese troops had been sent there to
stay. American troops were dispatched
| to prevent the partition OF Russia and
LitvinoH saw documents which showed
clearly Jndt LneTe were JeIlSe moments
, when American troops almost claShed
with the japanese to prevent their per-
manent establishment on the west coast
: Of the Russian ASiatic empire.
: When Litvinoff still showed certain
degree Of hesitancy regarding the Soviet
claims, said to amount to about $8,
: 600 900 900 he was asked iokingly how
high Russia estimated half of Siberia
: He guessed that an intangible estimate
would place that region at soSle $50,
600 900 900. Very we'll" he was told
you owe the United States in this case
some S42 ,000. .0oo, ,0o0,"
The President has not bothered him
E self with the question of the settlement
Of the Russian pre- war debts, the
l. KerenSky debts and the claims of the
b