A Hint

Said Deputy Soviet Foreign Minister Maxim Litvinov: "England, Italy, Germany, who all have recognized Soviet Russia de jure, are capable of absorbing all our raw materials and providing all the manufactured goods we need. We didn't buy recognition. Some countries are still trying to bargain with us; others still are muttering about old debts, etc. We refuse any such negotiations or any preliminary conditions. We demand, first of all, de jure recognition. That is our due."

This statement was held to mean that Russia would have nothing to do with countries denying recognition. In answer to queries about the U. S. and France, the Deputy Foreign Minister added: "Of course, this doesn't mean that we decline to follow the British precedent of de facto recognition, with a trade agreement, in the case of such countries as hitherto have abstained from any sort of relations with Russia what-soever."