Foreign Affairs

The invitation sent by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on behalf of the United States of America to the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics to start negotiating for an official recognition and a normal friendship between the two great Republics comes as the capstone to a most successful half year of Soviet diplomacy. Never has the Soviet Union been so strong in the international field, and never has her friendship been so coveted as in the Autumn of 1933. The economic upbuilding of the Soviet State seems to progress with great rapidity and today, in a word of unemployment, the Russian market is a ready buyer for machines and for technical equipment. More important even is the fact that in a general state of repudiation of debts, of non-payment of annuities and interest, of devaluation of gold currency, the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics is one of the very few states which have—up to now—fulfilled all the obligations incurred by them.

A few years ago the Soviet Union was completely isolated in Europe. Her only friend was Germany. Now the Soviet Union is on very good terms with all her neighbors in the West and in the South. On October 29th the tenth anniversary of the Turkish Republic will be celebrated. Russia, age-old enemy of Turkey, will be represented there by a very strong delegation headed by the War Commissar Voroshilov. A close friendship links the Soviet Union with Turkey. During the last months cordial visits were exchanged between France and Poland on the one hand and the Soviet Union, on the other hand. Now comes the probable recognition by the United States. It is a great success for Russia.

The Soviet Union admires the United States. The great tradition of pioneering, of industrial expansion, the technical excellency, the keen forward spirit which are everywhere seen in America and which constitute the essence of American life, are an example up to which the leaders of the Soviets try to educate the Russian people. American engineers are always welcome in Russia and a visitor to Russia can again and again hear expressed the deep-felt admiration which Russia has for America. It is therefore easy to explain that the impending recognition of the Soviet Union by American was enthusiastically received in Moscow. The Soviet Commissar Litvinoff, who is by birth a Jew, will in a few days come to America and fix, in his conversations with President Roosevelt, the conditions for recognition.

The friendship with America will be of greatest help to Russia in the Far East. There is the only adversary whom Russia has to fear at present: Japan. The Japanese military rulers look for expansion: both against China and against Eastern Siberia. The Yellow River and the Lake of Baikal are their next objectives. At the same time there is a growing uneasiness in the United States over the expansionist tendencies of Japan. The friendship between the two great Republics will certainly help to put peace in the Far East on a firmer basis.

The new friendship between the United States and the Soviet Union is of importance for the Jews too. Not only that Jews will welcome any move towards strengthening the basis of peace and understanding between nations, they will welcome it, especially in the case of those two nations, as there are more than four million Jews in America and more than two and a half million in Russia. The cooperation of the two great Republics will mean added prosperity to both of them, help in this difficult upward struggle and thus will benefit all their citizens.