Evening star., 1948-11-14
History Full.
Of Fractured.
Red Pledges
U. S. Recognized d
Russia Is Years
Ago This Week.
By Relmon NORM

C1lltcQ oI6GCS 1CSOSAAA1S3 S~AS S'~>
Union, and history entered a frs
date iathe ledger of promises broker
by the Russians.
Recognition was accorded Novem
ber 16, 1888.
1t came after eight days o
private conversations between Presi
dent Roosevelt, who had initiated
the project, and Maxim Litvinofi
Soviet Commissar for Foreign Affairs
Sixteen letters were exchanged. Th
agreement finally embraced fiv'
points.
Two of these were little more thai
formalities, guaranteeing consula
protection and freedom Of religion
worship for Americans living il
Russia. Two others dealt will
mutual claims for debts outstanding
since the end of World War I.
The fifth was supremely important
Propaganda Pact
1t dealt with propaganda, agita
ton and activity directed toward thu
overthrow, by force, of the American
Government.
In these succeeding Is years, i
has become one of the most cynica
and calculated perjuries in th'
whole story of international rela.
tions.
(Nothing on the anniversary Of
recognition has been received
from Moscow. MIR. Litvinoff was
replaced as Foreign Commissar
by v. M. Molotov in 1899 and the
title later was changed to Foreign
Minister.
(The Soviet Information Bureau
announced in Moscow last Feb
ruary that Molotov replaced
Litvinoff because it was neces-
sary to have at such responsible
post = political leader with
greater experience. and enjoying
greater popularity in the country
than M. M. Litvinoff." Little is
heard of Litvinoff nowadaysD
In one clause Mr.. Litvinoff pledged
as a fixed policy" of his govern
ment:
ITO refrain and restrain all per.
sons in government service, and al
organizations of the government
from any act, overt or covert, liable
in any way whatsoever, to injure
the tranquility, prosperity, order Of
security of the United States
and in particular from any act tend
ing to incite or encourage armed
Intervention or agitation or propa-
ganda having as its aim the viola
ton of the territorial integrity oi
the United States, or the bringing
about by force of a change in the
political or social order of the United
States"
Event Made Headlines
And so, on November 16, President
Roosevelt handed Mr.. Litvinoff q
letter in which he had written: 81
trust that our nations may CO.
operate for their mutual benefit and
for the preservation of the peace OF
the world
Mr.. Litvinoff replied in kind.
The newspaper headlines, seen in
today's light, make almost tragic
reading-"All U. s.-Russian Issues
End With Recognition" Pact
Seen as Boon to Peace" "Worlc
Halls Accord"
On the surface this seemed to- be
%. The United States had broken
relations with Russia in 1917, when
the Bolshevists overthrew the gov
eminent Of the Cars. Since that
time the greatest capitalist nation
and the great socialist state had been
ut loggerheads.
L.. Meanwhile the American Commu-
mist Party was fomenting strikes,
agitating, undermining the armed
forces and openly proclaimine-at
a rally in New York-the imminence
of the American revolution"
But all that was to be ended. The
United States and the Soviet Union
had entered into full diplomatic
partnership.
There were a few dissenters to
the general jubilance.
Public Didn't Notice
Very few people seemed to notice
the complete and battling contradic-
ton between Mr. Litvinoff's pledge
his statement of Russias ''fixec
policy" and the activities of thu
Comintern in Russia and of the
Communist Party in America.
These facts, too, seem now tt
have passed without notice:
On November 6, 10 days before
recognition and the writing OF tn.
Russian pledge, the Cominterr
called the Communist faithful
throughout the world to work fol
the world revolution and to forge {
unified front against world inn
9 perialism."
In the same week an Associated
Press correspondent, reporting OF
censorship in Moscow, cabled tina
nothing whatsoever may be salt
about recognition except just wha
the Moscow censor wants to b.
said"
And American Communist leader
were travelling to and from MOSCOW
on orders from Moscow-to &c
large sums of money and advic
from the Comintern on the mean
of bringing revolution to thi
country.
Foreign Trade Needed
Why was recognition granite
against such background?
The record indicates several rea
sons. The depression-bound Natiol
needed foreign trade at that time