The Calumet news., 1912-06-01
RUSSIA TO GROW
HER OWN COTTON
A6RoeATloN OF U. S. TREATY
MAY LEAD TO TRADE HOS
TILlTlEs.

st. Petersburg. June 1.-The Russian
cotton industry is feeling the effects
OF the abrogation Of the Russo Ameii-
can treaty. Russian determination to
resist influence with reference 10 the
Jewish passport question is now seen
to involve the eventality of trade hos
titilies witI America
TO Russia The most vital article of
Russo American trade is cotton. Con
sequently. when aggressive proposals
were introduced in the Duma npon the
heels OF the ahrogation public opinion
in unison with Baron Knop and al
other cotton manufacturers. cried ont
that reprisals on American products
would strike none but the Russian con-
sumers.
The patriotic motto now is the free
Russia from American cotton Of
some American Farming machines she
cannot hope To free herself soon be-
cause of quality. The peasants and
the opposition vote threw out bounties
of Russian built machines In a min
isteriai bin for farm machines manu-
facture. but the Dnn'a members in the
Joint committee receded from the
Duma vote. and the hounties clause
has been restored. Only the agrarian
and peasant interests now might stay
the withdrawal of the reduced sched-
ule on foreign machinery. Even so,
new works are planned at Riga. Kiey
and other pohlts by German and Rus
sian capital.
Impetus To Home Growers.
A still greater impetus has bccn Civ
en- 10 home cotton. The Minister of
Agriculture, NJ. Itrivoshein, with staff
of experts. has completed fortnights
tour of inspection in the cotton dis
tricts OF Central Asia. TIE Russian
delegate at the coming International
Congress of Navigation in Philadelphia,
NJ. Shovguencf. an engineer by pro
fession. has been commissioned TO
make study Of the big irrigation
works, with mechanical appliances,
which are now being carried ont in the
United States
irrigation grown. Upon 1,O26,000 Of the
total of $500, 900 acres of irrigated land
here has been produced. roughly half
0f the cotton Russia now needs. But
this area has been powerless to change
the ratio. and has barely succeeded in
keeping up with the demand. Along
side of it, however. are 5,000,000 acres
If suitable land available for irriga-
lion from the waters of the Syr Darya
and the Oxus, at an estimated expense
of from S19 to SIS per acre, The work to
occupy 20 to % years.
Remove Impediments.
Causes connected with the cost, the
requisite technical skill and labor. the
involved land and water rights nave
blocked progress. Bills pend
ing drafted by the Ministry of AGri-
culture. would establish water law in
he rurkestan and permit private ini-
tiative and capital to assist the treas
ury i'm this bic undertaking. a con
tract with a Moscow engineer, NJ.
rchaeff. calls for the completion of a
Province by 1914. The work
had been advancing slowly for years,
when the Russo American events in
tervened and forced the pace.
A group of Moscow business men.
headed by NJ. Kusnetsoff, of the Pero-
slavi cotton manufacture, who accom-
panied the Minister on his tour, has
lid for the irrigation of $4,000 acres
in the center of Ferghana with the
waters of the Naryn and Kara Darva.
Their Russian and Swiss engineers asc
now rushing the surveys. The terms
Of their Office call for grant Of a
part of the irrigated area to .he com
pany in Gee simple or qualified, the
crown to receive an equal part. Three
hundred thousand dollars has been as
signed for study of other projects, as
well MS 81. 500. 900 for canals already
begun.