New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-26


There are few more important considerations
connected with the present war than that OF
its probable effect upon the finances and indus
tries OF Russia and upon the condition of the
people. 1t is said that silver and gold the
sncws OF war; and also that no nation was ever
restrained from war by poverty. Contradictory
as they seem. both statements are true; or, at
any rate. one IS true as the other True.
also, beyond question: is it that great war Is
sure to affect profoundly, for either good
i'll, the finances the industry and commerce
and the general popular condition OF a country.
Whether this war will affect Russia for good
or for i'll Is Il question not TO be answered off
hand, but which suggests some rather ominous
considerations
1t is often said that Russia IS enormously
rich, far richer than Japan and that her alrl-
cultural resources are simply inestimablc. 1t
is true that the aggregate wealth of so vast
empire IS very large. 1t is also true that the
Russian budget each year shows n handsome
surplus. No other European country has so
great a budget or great n surplus At the
same time other has in recent years had
great an increase of expenditures more than
1913 per cent from 1850 to 1902-ur so great an
increase of national Indebtedness from nothing
to nearly SIS, 800 100000 in sixty years. Much of
this debt has been incurred in railroad building.
more than SGOO,OOO,OOO in tho dozen years of
peace from 1897 to 1899. and ought 10 repre-
sent profitable investment But ii does not.
Those railroads are increasingly Improbable.
NJ de White officially reported in 1902 that the
profits OF the state railroads were $J,650OO0 in
1896, and steadily declined 20 only 100000 in
1885, and that in 1900 they were transformed
into loss of 100000, which rapidly increased
10 So, 100000 in 1902 and was likely to keep
on increasing.
IL Of 11cCi IN I'm
rope proper. excluding the rich fields of Fin
land and Poland, are not nearly so great rs
some suppose. The soil Of Russia is not gen.
orally rich and is certainly not well titled.
Whether from sterility or poor cultivation, 1t
produces on the average only onc-fourth rs
much wheat as that Of Great Britain, One-thrd
as much as that of Germany and Sweden and
one half as much as that OF Hungary. The per
centagc Of seed used to crop gathered is in Rus
STA the largest in the world. being 30 per cent,
to less than per cent in America. The grain
yield of Russia, per capita. IS steadily decreas-
ing 1t has decreased 30 per cent in forty years.
The yield of the soil is 81 per cent less than it
was 80 years ago 1t is true that Russia
ports much grain. That Is because her people
are scantily fed. II they consumed as much
per capita as those Of other lands, Russia would
have TO import instead of exporting grain.
This latter declaration is made by no less an
authority than the st. Petersburg "Viedomosti,"
which points out that Russia consumes, per
capita, one-third less bread than Germany.
That same paper, edited by one of the most
progressive and enlightened nobemen of the
empire and a friend of the Emperor, has also
declared that Russia is chronically starving,
'paupersm increases in extent and degree,
land there are neither ways nor means appar-
lent either TO stop to mitigate this evil.
Expenditure is growing on all sides and in
"all directions without bounds, but the sources
"of productive labor are exhausted. The people
labor with all their force, but all their exer-
"tons do not suffice to satisfy the requirements
"of the state and OF those who live on the labor
| "of the peasants" To this, M. de WHITE, lately
Minister of Finance In an official statement.
| added: 1.-THE population is weighed down by
direct and indirect taxation to the uttermost
that can be borne; and the Council Of State
| expressed its agreement with his views. Such.