Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-25
RECENT RUSSIAN NOTE
Copy Received From st.
Petersburg.
CONCERNS
REFERENCES TO TRUST ARE
RATHER INCIDENTAL.
Aimed at the Brussels Agreement Re
garding the Payment of Bounties
on Exports.

Through the United States charge of en-
bassy at st. Petersburg. Mr.. Riddle, the
State Department has just received copy
of the Russian note touching upon trusts,
which has excited so much comment In
Europe. This note, which takes the form
of a circular was identical, and was handed
in st. Petersburg to the representatives of
all the powers that participated in the
Brussels sugar conference, and in addition
to Mr.. Riddle for transmission to his gov
ernment at Washington.
Just why this was done, in view of the
fact that the United States government
was not represented at the Brussels con-
ference, can only be conjectured, and 1t is
supposed that 1t was supplied as a matter
of information and a courtesy. Certain
it is that in the present view the United
States executive cannot participate in such
a conference as Is described. because of
constitutional limitations that cannot be
escaped, even If there were no other OBJ
jections
Aimed at Brussels Agreement.
From a pe-usal of the note, which Is in
official print, 1t appears that its references
to trusts, which are rather incidental and
alternative in character, have attracted the
principal share of public attention, al
framed as an argument in support of the
Russian system of regulating sugar produc-
tion and export. This is summed up in one
significant sentence as follows: THE Rus
sian government cannot bring itself to re-
gard the provisions of the Brussels confer
ence in reference to the countries granting
an export bounty on sugar as applicable to
ITSELF
The reference to an international trust
conference is actually, therefore, presented
in the shape of an alternative proposal or
rather suggestion. only in case the sound
ness of the Russian contention in support
of Its present system is successfully chal-
lenged.
The State Department cannot do more at
this stage than it has done-namely, re-
turn a polite acknowledgment through Mr..
Riddle of the note and watch developments
in Europe. 1t is not supposed that there
will be at once any action toward calling
another congress, but rather that the dis
cusslon as to the character of the Russia Il
system of regulation of sugar production
will proceed certainly up to the date set fer
the application of the agreement reached It
Brussels for the stoppage of sugar bountes
and the exclusion from importation of
bounty-aided sugars. That action will it is
expected. precipitate some decision upon
the Russian proposals.
The Russian Proposals.
The text of that part of the Russian note
which is regarded as extending the proposal
for an international trust congress is as
follows:
But If ii twere shown that an intervention
of this character by the government in the
conditions of industry is obnoxious to the
interests of international trade or COM
merce, that even such protection of home
prices proves disturbance to the free ac-
ton of internationa competition, the Rus
sian government would readily enter, joint
ly with the other powers, into a discussion
of the various measures that could be cor
duciVe in checking the several means of in
fuencing international markets. 1t would
not, however, be inclined TO consider an
agreement on this point, unless the question
should be put in such way to cover
the whole of its scope: that is TO say, if
there were undertaken an examination not
only of the results of direct measures by
the government, such as the creation of
bounties or the control of the production,
but also the essence of various syndicates
Grusts) tolerated and protected by the gov
ernment, and unless the general convention
should have for its object not only sugar,
but also other leading staples of the inter
national trade of the present day.
IN taking the position above explained,
the imperial government hopes that the for
eigu governments will make no difficulty in
taking ii as an expression of its full con-
sent TO participate in any joint action of
the powers which would aim to protect m
ternational prices against artificial falls in
regard to sugar, as well as other merchau-
disc