Washington, October 21, 1933.

Berlin and Tokyo may well arch their eyebrows as they contemplate the overtures made by President Roosevelt to the Soviet government. For world diplomacy has a way of appraising every move in international relations as bearing upon world peace.

If the United States and Russia grow more friendly, Japan may consider seriously what the opportunities would be for he Soviets to buy munitions in the United States in the event of a Russo-Japanese war.

Also, if the United States and Russia become friendly, then Dictator Hitler in Berlin, who has been antagonizing the Soviets, may well wonder what the new understanding between Moscow and Washington would mean to a possible German-Russian Imbroglio.

The United States government has never made entangling alliances but it has often in past history made skillful use of diplomacy to help keep the scales of peace even.

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Unquestionably Mr. Roosevelt's initiative will ultimately mean formal recognition. This is predictable because the questions at issue between the United States and Russia are easier to solve today, owing to changed conditions, than they have been at any other time since the war.

First of all is the problem of Communist propaganda. America has always insisted that the Russian government must not instigate the distribution of such propaganda in the United States. The same question has troubled Europe, but the people of America are not likely to be unduly influenced by anybody's propaganda--there is too much counter-propaganda in favor of the American idea. So assurances as to Russian forbearance on this point will not be difficult for the Soviet government to give the United States government.

Second, there is the question of the war debts--the many millions loaned by the United States to the Kerensky government before the Communists came into power. Well, France and Great Britain and the other European governments now enjoying diplomatic relations with the United States have not made such a good record on the payment of war debts either, so this point should present no unsolvable problem. Against this, too, are some Russian claims against the American army which helped the Allies at Archangel. Claims are adjustable through a joint commission, as happened when the Mexican government was recognized.

Finally, there is the confiscation of American property by the Soviets. The Soviets may have some formula for working this out through cooperation with the American government. Thus credits are to be extended by the R. F. C. undoubtedly to the Moscow trading corporations for the purchase of commodities. Already a cotton loan is in process. So it may be that financial adjustments, taking care of American claimants, will become part of a general financial plan which will follow formal recognition.