New-York tribune., 1900-01-14
U. S. CAPITAL IN RUSSIA
AMERICAN PLANTS TO BE BUILT IN
MOSCOW AND ST. PETERSBURG.

Thomas Smith, Consul of the United States at
Moscow, returns to Russia on Tuesday after
Short stay III this country, with authority from
three or four manufacturing concerns in this
country to negotiate the preliminary steps for
the building of American manufacturing plants
IL Moscow and st. Petersburg to cost $6,000OO0.
MI Smith told Tribune reporter last night at
the Waldorf that the plans of American
manufacturers who will invade Russia with
American machinery and ideas within the next
twelve months involve an expenditure of $15,-
100000 OF only part of these would he speak,
saying that negotiations for some of the others
were not far enough advanced to warrant his
talking about them
me Westinghouse Electric Company will build
large plant in ST. Petersburg in the coming
year at cost of $2.O00O0O; the Standard Pump
Company, which, according to Mr.. Smith in
cludes the Worthingtons the Dunlaps and
others, will build plant either at ST. Peters
burg or Moscow to cost $2O00O00 and the
Singer Sewing Machine Company whose in
tention was announced some time ago, will put
up a factory in Moscow as large as any the
company owns in this country careful ex-
animation of the field has been made by the
singer company, according to Mr.. Smith, and
its members believe they drive out the Ger
man made machines after their factory Is
equipped and running, the American built
machlnes are much lighter and swfter than
those manufactured in the Rhine country. The
Singer company's warerooms are to be at St.
Petersburg, but the factory will be at Moscow.
which is nearer the centre of commercial Rus
sla than the other city. Besides these men
toned, Mr.. Smith says that three other large
concerns, after sending their lawyers to Rus
sia, are satisfied that the field there Is prom
ising one. and warrants the erection of ex-
tensive manufactures
American machinery will drive out English
and German machines within the next ten
years." said Mr. Smith. When American ma
chinery began to invade Russia, the employers
and the operatives were doubtful about its last
ing quality. They had become accustomed to
the clumsier and heavier machinery supplied by
Great Britain and they feared that the lighter
machines from this country would break down
and become worthless. They have discovered
that the better grade of material used in the
construction of the American machines insures
their durability, while their lightness makes
operation much easier and quicker. Shortly be-
fore coming away I visited a factory where
English, German and American lathes are used
side by side. There is intense rivalry the
part of the Russian workmen in this shop to
get assigned to the Yankee machines. One
manufacturer told me that he had four times
cut down the wages Of the men on the American
machines because they made so much more
money than their associates. He had TO make
the cut in order to alay the discomfort the
part of the men running the older German and
English machines"
Mr.. Smith was in consultation last night with
Mr.. Crane, of the Westinghouse Electric and
Manufacturing Company, of Chicago, and his
brother, who is the English manager for the
company
When Mr. Smith asked about the truth Of
the run1ors alleging that Russia had immediate
designs on Persia and was moving an army tow
ard the Persian border, he said after some hesi-
tation: II have lived for thirty-five years in
Russia, and on intimate terms with some of
the prominent men in that empire. If should
tell all I have heard about the somewhat inter
esting position occupied by Teheran on the Rus
sian war map it would be likely to embarrass
men when l get back home to Moscow. and will
therefore have TO be excused. 1t is true that
Russia has ambitions TO became sea Power of
the first magnitude, and it is also true that Port
Arthur is occupying the attention of Russian
statesmen to absorbing extent. There are
six Russian admirals at Port Arthur at the pres
ent time, and each admiral, of course, has more
than one ship. 1t is doubtful, however, about
Japan and Russia going to war"