Justice said this afternoon in a formal statement. lt was said that 
the gold was sent here for commercial purposes which were per- 
fectly legitimate and with the approval of the United States officials. 
Various rumors have had it that the gold had been shipped 
into the United States by the Soviet Government of Russia and 
would be used to pay for propaganda in this country. ' The first 
intimation of the shipment came last week when the Federal Reserve 
Board announced that it had arrived from an unknown source and 
to an unknown consignee. 
The statement made today by the Department of Justice reads: 
“After full investigation, the Department of Justice 
finds that the recent shipment of gold totaling $339,636 
from Russia to the United States was shipped from Reval 
and imported into the United States by commercial agents 
for the Esthonian Government for an entirely proper com- 
mercial purpose and with the knowledge and consent of 
the proper United States Government officials.” 
New York Times, April 2, 1921 
FEARS SOVIET GOLD COMES FROM ALLIES. 
Local Assay Office Asks for Ruling on Shipments from England and 
France. 
MAY REQUIRE AFFIDAVITS 
METAL BARS BEING RECEIVED HERE HAVE NO GOVERNMENT MARKINGS. 
FLOW MAY BE CURTAILED 
Fear that a considerable portion of the gold which is coming 
to this country from England and France may be of Russian origin 
has caused officials of the local United States Assay Office to apply 
to the authorities at Washington for a ruling as to whether all 
gold tendered to the Assay Office must be accompanied by affida- 
vits of ownership and origin. If the rule is given that these affida- 
vits must, be made, it is believed possible that the flow of gold to 
this country will be decidedly curtailed, for it is understood that few 
bankers here care to put their signatures to the documents. 
For several months the Assay Office on instructions from 
Washington has been declining to accept gold known to be of 
Russian origin, and in cases where a suspicion exists that the metal 
may have come from Soviet territory, an affidavit declaring the gold 
not to be of Russian origin is required. The only exception to this 
rule is gold coming here in the form of bars bearing the official 
stamp of the Royal Swedish Mint. This gold is generally regarded 
y