Foreign News: What Tchitcherin Said

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"There can be no question as to the recent remarkable improvement in Russian internal conditions. . . . The public utilities in Moscow and Leningrad are in full and effective operation; the Moscow telephone service is as good as in any city in Europe, and rather better than the service in London or Paris."

Thus spoke at Manhattan, last week, the President of the United Press Associations, Karl August Bickel, keen, versatile Scripps-Howard newspaper executive, recently returned from around-the-world journey which included Russia. Soon Mr. Bickel continued: "While I visited Moscow Foreign Minister Georg Tchitcherin, despite the fact he was so ill that he was compelled to remain in bed, was good enough to talk with me one evening ... of Russian-American relations

" 'Russia is ready to recognize our American obligations,' Tchitcherin said, 'and we have been ready to negotiate for their repayment for some time. The sum is a comparatively small one —about $275,000,000, I think. We are ready also to take up the question of certain American property in Russia that has been taken over by the Russian government and operated by us since the War. . . ."