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

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