Evening star., 1939-12-04
j. ). Looks 10 Future
In Considering
Break With Russia
Step Regarded as
Hondicop in Effort
To Help Finland
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
The Government was reliably re-
ported today to be proceeding with
caution and looking we'll into the
future in studying the possibility OF
severing diplomatic relations with
Russia.
Some Senators of both major
parties have advocated this course
as protest against the Soviet in
vasion of Finland, but the State
Department is known to be taking
the position that the United States
would lose many advantages should
1t take this step.
For example, it was said, this
country might be in better position
to participate in peace conference
ii relations are maintained. If re-
lations are severed, some persons
contend, the United States might
make an enemy which would not
be desirous of having this country
sit in at a peace conference which
might be of vital Importance to the
United States.
Then, too, the State Department
regards as valuable its present
channels of information, reports
and intelligence.
G. o. p. Blames Recognition.
The question of withdrawing
recognition was kept to the fore by
Republican contentious that the
Roosevelt administrations recogni-
ton of the Communist government
was partly to blame for the invasion
Of Finland
The Government was described as
believing that recall of Ambassador
Laurence Steinhardt from Moscow
for consultation and report would be
considered merely a rebuke and not
q severance of relations There Is
q precedent for such action in the
recall for consultation of former
Ambassador Hugh Wilson from
Berlin.
The Government was reported to
be merely studying all the factors
involved. It was said decisions on
the maintenance of the present rela-
tions or possible changes in them
were dependent on these studies.
Publicists for the Republican COM
mittee issued excerpts from state
ments made by party leaders in the
past, opposing the exchange of Am
bassadors with the Soviets. Among
them was a 1923 declaration attrib-
uted to Chief Justice Hughes, then
Secretary of State, that there
should be no encouragement to
those efforts of the Soviet authori-
ties to visit upon other peoples the
disasters that have overwhelmed the
Russian people"
Distribution of the past Republican
statements opposing recognition fol-
lowed up the recent comment OF
former President Hoover that Mr..
Roosevelt had given the Communist
government standing "as decent
member of the family of nations"
Knutson Voices Protest.
In another statement issued
through the national committee yes
terday, Representative Knutson, Re-
publican, of Minnesota declared the
recognition which the present ad-
ministration granted the Soviet
government in 1888 had strength
ened the hand of Stain" The
administration, Mr.. Knutson con-
tended, could not escape its share
of responsibility for the tragedy that
has overtaken Finland"
Action along another line to help
marshal world opinion against the
invasion was reported under con-
sideration. From Montevideo came
word that Uruguays foreign min
lister, Alberto Guani, was commune
eating with foreign offices of the
Pan-American Union for their
views regarding Russian aggression
against Finland" in order to make
q joint declaration of condemna-
ton. Jose Maria Cantilo, Argentine
foreign minister, announced in