The Pittsburgh Press (July 23, 1944)
Dewey talks with Johnston about Russia
Long-term credits discussed at meeting
By Kirtland I. King, United Press staff writer
Pawling, New York – (July 22)
Governor Thomas E. Dewey, Republican presidential candidate, studied a report on post-war trade with Russia today after a five-hour conference with Eric A. Johnston, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, who recently returned from a trip to Moscow.
Mr. Johnston, who conferred with Governor Dewey before the Governor left for a weekend at his farm, said Governor Dewey received the report with “great interest” but refrained from expressing an opinion at this time.
Discussing many things
Mr. Johnston said:
I submitted a report on my trip to Russia. We discussed foreign trade, especially trade with Russia, long-term credit and all other things essential to discussion if we are going to do business with the Soviets.
The Chamber of Commerce president said he told Governor Dewey that the conclusion of the war would open many new avenues of trade with Russia, but that we must be prepared to extend long-term credits. By long-term credits, he said, he believed Russian means from 15 to 30 years.
Capital goods trade
Mr. Johnston added that the trade with the Soviets “would not be so much for consumer goods but for capital goods – farm implements and machinery for the factories.”
He said:
There will be a tremendous opportunity for trade. The Soviet government wants to do business, but we will have to be willing to extend long-term credit.
Asks about Stalin
Mr. Dewey was particularly interested in Mr. Johnston’s three-hour conference with Joseph Stalin. Mr. Johnston informed Governor Dewey, wanted to know who was going to be the Republican presidential candidate and when Johnston said he believed it would be the New York Governor, the Marshal wanted to know all about him.
Mr. Johnston said that, prior to the Republican National convention, he said he would support the party’s choice for President and added, “I am a Republican. Of course, I will support Mr. Dewey, not only as a Republican but as a businessman.”
Mr. Dewey planned a weekend preparing for a trip to the Republican Governors Conference at St. Louis. He declined to comment on the ticket nominated by the Democrats in Chicago.
North Carolina seeks speech from Dewey
Lexington, North Carolina (UP) – (July 22)
An invitation will be extended to Governor Thomas E. Dewey, Republican presidential nominee, within the next two weeks to speak at some city in North Carolina “in early September,” Sim A. Delapp, chairman of the State Republican Executive Committee, said today.
Rep. Clare Boothe Luce (R-CT) will also be invited to come to the state and speak during the current campaign.