Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-27
RUSSIA MAKES A THREAT
Minister Of Finance Expresses Views on the
Sugar Question.
NATIONS ARE NOT GOVERNED BY JUSTICE
Guided by Theft own Interests, In
which Event Russia VIII Com
slider Itself Free TO Disre-
gard Treaty -stipuIatIOns.

ST. PETERSBURG. Aug. s--(Corre-
spondence Of the Associated Press THE
last note Of M. witte. the Russian minis
ter of finance. to the foreign press on the
sugar question has not been published In
Russia.
Among those Russians who have read II
in foreign papers, 1t appears TO have
caused ~unbounded establishment. NJ.
Whites conviction that in this question
the lowers will be guided by their in
terests and not by what is right" and
his threat in case any increase Of duties
is enforced against Russian sugar that
"the Russian government will consider
itself free TO disregard treaty stipula-
lions when 1t thinks At" along with the
system Of guerrilla tariff warfare he laid
down, are considered as outwitting even
the Russian finance minister.
The Russian critics Of NJ. Witte point
out that as the sugar convention will be-
come effective after the expiration Of most
of the Russian commercial treaties, the
finance ministry will be wise not to take
general measures against the powers col
lectively," but to adopt measures which
will be the most advantageous for Russia
in the special circumstance Of each
case" They also point out that about
a year ago NJ. witte was Eliminating
threats of what he would do in case Ger
many carried out its tariff policy, threats
Of which nothing more has been heard.N
Embarrasses other Russians.
Always a subject Of lively interest, NJ.
Witte and his financial system and policy
have lately more than ever engaged the
serious attention Of Russian economists
and men of affairs generally. They are
aIIAI 18th -4.t--- -
they consider the situation of the country
after ten years of his administration and II
is expressing matters mildly to say that
the possibility of his plunging the coun-
try into a series Of commercial conflicts
has caused downright alarm in wide cir
cles of the Russian public.
The anxiety from this source would be
intensified were 1t not suspected that NJ.
Witte is indulging in a bit Of bluff. Since
M. Witte procured the closing of the i'm
perial free economical society after over
100 years of honored activity, his critics
have been largely silenced except in pri-
yate conversation and in foreign publica-
tions. Lately, however, they have taken
courage.
The Official report Of Russia's foreign
trade for the first months of 1902 shows
the American importations to be virtually
the same as In l9OO, apparently tndicat-
ing that Russian buyers have become fully
convinced it is better to buy American
machinery in spite Of the discriminating
duty against 1t. the comparative ngures
for 1900, 1901 and 1902 are respectively
s 1880, 900. $T.15s,OOO and $685. 500.
In the meantime German and British
imports have fallen, their figures being
s34,0 6 500, $32. PIG, 500 and $50, 297. 900 and
SIS. 6 $4,000, $14,S17. 900 and $40. 1874, 900. The
whole importations have continued falling
so that the share of America lie relatively
larger than in 1900. The expectations
continue to increase.