of some other nation; but when the gold is offered from Russia's
own hands we refuse it. We cannot be sure that the Russian title
to it is clear; it may have been confiscated from its lawful owners
during the revolution; we do not choose to be receivers of stolen
goods.
“Very well. Then let us be consistent. If it is wrong to take
the gold directly, can it be right to take it indirectly? Suppose
Russia ships the gold back to England, buys sterling with it and
then offers sterling bills for our goods. Is our moral obligation
any less than it was before? If it is wrong to admit this gold, is
it not wrong also to permit an oil company to bring money into
this country which it has made by trading in Russian oil which other
companies claim is their confiscated property?
“In this matter we ought to be either consistent or sensible.
At the moment we appear to be neither.”
Elizabeth, N. J., Times, March 8, 1928
NOBODY WANTS IT
“In the vaults of the Chase National Bank of New York and
the Equitable Trust Company there are $5,000,000 worth of gold
in bars. Nobody seems to own it and nobody in this country seems
to want it.
“The Treasury Department ruled yesterday that the gold must
go back to Soviet Russia, whence it came.
“The Treasury ruling maintains the embargo on Russian gold
set up by this country when Lenine and Trotsky overturned Im-
perial Russia by bloody revolution and formed the Soviet regime,
which until recently has not ceased to urge world revolt while re-
pudiating all external obligations.
“Until cordial relations are established between Soviet Russia
and this country our Government wants no traffic with the old
country of the czars. In the interest of world commerce, how-
ever, it seems to the man in the street that it is time the breach
between the countries should be closed.”
Johnstown, Pa., Democrat, March 9, 1928
THAT RUSSIAN GOLD
“The Russian government has sent $5,000,000 in gold to this
country as a basis for credit in the purchase of American goods of
various kinds. The gold is tied up in New York banks and ap-
parently will remain there idle because the pious Mr. Mellon. the
