ext of the Hull Letter on Sovie
By Th* Associated Prttt.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 8—Fol-
lowing is the text of a letter from
Secretary Hull to the Senate For-
eign Relations Committee, com-
menting on a resolution asking the
State Department to inform Con-
gress whether Russia had lived up
to the Litvinoff agreements:
I have received your letter of
Jan. 19, 1940, inviting such com-
ment as I may feel disponed to
ninke on Sen. Res. 219 of Jnn. 18.
1910, in which the President was
requested to report to the Senate,
if not incompatible with public
Interest, whether the Union of
Soviet Socialist Republics had
fulfilled the obligations contained
in the agreements entered into
between that government and this
government on Nov. 16, 1933.
Although the agreements of
Nov. 16, 1933. between the two
governments were concluded si-
multaneously with the establish-
ment of diplomatic relations be-
tween them, the maintenance of
diplomatic relations has not been
made "wholly contingent," as the
wording of the resolution would
appear to indicate, on the fulfill-
ment by the Soviet Government
of the obligations set forth in
these agreements.
Whenever this government has
causo to believe that another gov-
ernment has failed to live up to
agreements with it. It is accus-
tomed to make use of the very
channels which exist by virtue
of diplomatic relations In order
to bring this failure to the atten-
tion of the other government, to
endeavor to effect an adjustment
of resultant divergences of views,
and to attempt to prevent similar
differonceh from taking place in
the future.
During the years which have
elapsed since the establishment
of diplomatic relations between
the United States of America and
the Union of Soviet Socialist Re-
publics, this government on sev-
eral occasions has had ground to
believe that the Soviet Govern-
ment was not fully living up to
the obligations undertaken at the
time of the establishment of such
relations. On such occasions this
government has made appropri-
ate representations to' the Soviet
Government. In certain instances
these representations have yielded
constructive results; in others,
they have disclosed divergences
in the interpretation of the agree-
ments in question.
It was the opinion of this gov-
ernment in August, 1935. that the
Soviet Government had violated
its obligations not to interfere In
the Internal affairs of the United
States when It permitted the All
World Congress of the Commu-
nist International to convene in
Moscow.
Accordingly, on Aug. 25, 1935,
the American Ambassador to the
Soviet Union addressed a note of
Eiotest to the Acting People's
ommlssar for Foreign Affairs.
On Aug. 27. 1935, the Acting
People's Commissar for Foreign
Affairs presented a note in reply
to the Ambassador in which it
was denied that the Soviet Gov-
ernment had taken upon itself ob-
ligations of any kind with regard
to the Communist International.
The Department of State on
Aug. 31. 1935, issued a statement
in which It maintained that the
language of the agreement be-
tween the two governments "irre-
futably covers activities of the
Communist International." A copy
of this statement is attacHcd
hereto as Inclosure 3. There
has been no further exchange of
views or communications on this
subject between the two govern-
ments.
In connection with the work of
the American Embassy In Moscow
regarding the protecllon of Amer-
ican citizens and interests In (he
Soviet Union, a number of cases
have come to the attention of this
government involving the arrests
or detention of American citizens
by the Soviet authorities. In the
opinion of this government, the
Soviet Government In the han-
dling of some of these cases was
not living up strictly to its under-
takings relative to the rights of
citizens of the United States to
legal protection.
Following representations made
bv this government, the American
citizens under arrest were event-
ually released, and at the present
time, so far as this government
is aware, no American citizens
are under detention In the Soviet
Union except a number whom the
Soviet Government considers to
be citizens of the Soviet Union
rather than of the United States.
This government hns not had
occasion to make representations
to Ihc Soviet Government for vi-
olations of any other obligations
assumed by the Soviet Govern-
ment in the agreements of Nov.
16. 1933.
In addition to concluding cer-
tain agreements at the time of
the establishment of diplomatic
relations, the American and Soviet
Governments exchanged views
with regard to methods of set-
tling all questions of indebtedness
and claims outstanding between
them.
This exchange permitted the
hope for a speedy and satisfac-
tory solution of these questions.
Subsequent negotiations, how-
ever, terminated unsuccessfully.
On Jan. 31, 1935, tho Department
of State issued to the press a
statement, pointing out that
"there seems to be scarcely any
reason to doubt that tho negotia-
tions which seemed promising at
the start must now be regarded
as having come to an end."