ATTACKS U. S. RUSSIAN POLICY

The undergraduate English part was given by Clyde William Phelpa '22 of Rockford, Ill. Phelpa attacked the present policy of the United States Government towards Russia, saying that it was unjustifiable on the part of this country to make the internal economic structure of the Soviet Republic a fundamental in the question of recognition, and including in his speech Jefferson's words concerning the recognition of the French Republic after its career of terrorism.

He said in part: "The Russian policy of America stands upon debatable ground. Never before have we pursued a foreign policy quite comparable to our present policy toward the Soviet Republic of Russia. It is a policy which makes the internal economic structure of Russia a fundamental in the question of recognition. This policy of non-recognition so well expressed in the Hughes note of March 25, 1921, purposes an unjustifiable interference in the internal affairs of the Russian nation.

Two Theories of Recognition Today

"What is this recognition which we have denied to Russia for five years; what must a nation do to be recognized? Well, there are two theories of recognition in use today. One is in accord with the trend of international law and is the basis of the Russian policy of the European nations; the other is the American foreign policy toward Russia. New the first theory holds that the recognizing nation need only be satisfied that the petitioning government possesses the essential characteristics of a state, namely that it is the sovereign power in a free and independent nation, and that it is willing and able to fulfill its international obligations. These are the only justifiable conditions, which may be imposed upon a nation asking for recognition, and when a state fulfills them, recognition naturally and automatically follows.

"When we tell Russia that her recognition will depend upon her internal organization we are taking an aggressive, and an offensive attitude. For as Jefferson said concerning the recognition of the French Republic after its career of terrorism,--'We surely cannot deny to any nation that right whereon our own is founded, that it may govern itself according to what form it pleases, and change that form at its own will, and that it may transact business with foreign nations through whatever organ it thinks proper'. Thus, over a century ago, a great American statesman declared the foreign policy of America to be the same that the European nations agreed upon in Article One of the Cannes Resolutions in 1922. This statement is as true today as when it was first uttered, and it applies with equal force to the Soviet Republic of Russia as it did to the Republic of France. But our State Department of today pursues a policy in direct contradiction, and in basing recognition upon the economic character of the government by prescribing that it shall be capitalistic, it is taking a ground which is untenable. It is assuming an attitude which is hardly justifiable.

"It all comes down to this. If a nation is a sovereign power in a free and independent state, and if that government is willing and able to fulfill its international obligations by agreeing to restrain from all propaganda and aggression, by guaranteeing safety of life and property to foreigners, by offering guarantees to trade and by acknowledging its public debts,--that nation merits recognition. Therefore its form of government, its internal policies, its system of production, its history, and our own likes and dislikes must not be permitted to dictate the foreign policy of the American people. The consideration of the economic structure of a nation petitioning for recognition has never before controlled America's foreign policy; it must not now prescribe our relations with Russia. If we are to remain stead fast to our policy of the past, the American policy first voiced by Jefferson, we must abandon our present unjustifiable stand and make recognition of Russia depend, not upon the internal structure she has chosen, but upon international relations between Russia and America