Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-11-04
Soviet Embassy Fete
May Shed Light on
j, ). Relations
Attitude Toward japan
Offers One Busis for
Common Accord
By EDGAR ANSEL MOWRER.

BY EDGAR ANSEL MOWRER.
Invitations have gone out to the
reception at the Soviet Russian EN-
bassy for November 7, the 23d an
niversary of the Bolshevik revolution
Men in public life cannot allow
personal likes and dislikes to in
f1uence their political conduct. But,
unless I am completely mistaken,
the number of absentee American
guests that night will cast con-
siderable light on the present state
Of Russo-American relations.
These relations are frankly bad.
No amount of official applesauce can
change that fact; the fundamental
reason is simple. The guiding prin-
ciples of Stains Russia are at the
antipodes from those followed in
the United States. This would be
true under the best of circumstances.
But this opposition, not to say
hostility, has been gravely worSened
by the fact that since August, 1899,
Soviet Russia and the United States
have been following increasingly
divergent foreign political paths.
Whatever their secret intentions
or ultimate aims, the Soviets have
become sort of partner in the axis.
In the process they have wantonly
attacked Finland and, incidentally,
annexed almost as much brutally
appropriated foreign territory as
Hitler Germany. The United States
has been giving greater and greater
assistance, more and more openly
avowed, to Great Britain. Both
presidential candidates are pledged
to this policy and vie with each
other in the size of their promises
to improve on what is already being
done.
Embargo Pointed Out.
Small wonder that Soviet-Ameri-
can relations are bad, for to this
naked Russian grab the American
administration has replied with GER
tain acts. When, last summer, the
Soviets crudely suppressed indie
pendent Estonia, Latvia and
Lithuania, the American Govern
ment took a number of counter
IL puG NiicoA 81 OAA
things like machine tools which had
been ordered by the Soviets. 1t
froze Estonian, Lithuanian and Lat
Wan assets in this country. 1t i'm
modified at American docks some
IL vessels belonging to the sup
pressed countries which the Rus
slams had expected to obtain. and
other American countries did the
same to 10 more.
Rightly or wrongly, the Soviets
hold Washington responsible for the
lot. In some cases, the crews OF
these ships are favorable to the
Soviets: in other cases not, but no.
body was allowed to believe that
the measures taken were of such a
nature as to leave no doubt as to
the administration attitude.
Soviet officials resented this atti-
tude-as might have been, and was,
expected. And the two govern
ments might have gone on, harm
lessly sticking out tongues at each
other for some time, had not fate
taken a hand. Fate, in this case,
took the form of the Japanese
thrust at British, French and Dutch
possessions in the Far East.
Common Interest.
1t Is not in the interest Of the
United States that these possessions
fall into the hands of the Japanese
imperialists. 1t Is certainly not In
the interest of the Soviet Union.
AS a matter of fact, the Soviet
Union has done far more to prevent
japanese expansion than the Unit
ed States has, namely, by giving
concrete help to China, but here was
q common Russo-American interest
1t is an axiom of diplomacy that
common interests prevail over pr.