It was a great and exciting moment. President Roosevelt's office was jammed with newshawks. He held up a mimeographed sheet and owlishly informed them that the State Department insisted that "Commissar" be spelled with one "s." Then he ceased jesting, and blurted out the blunt fact: the United States of America had entered diplomatic relations with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics at ten minutes before midnight the previous day. The historic date was Nov. 16, 1933.
Headlines splashed front pages. Businessmen rejoiced at the big Russian trade that would soon be theirs....
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