The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-01-05
Russia and 0useIvss N Bird.

| Russia and OurseIves N Brief.
~ GRIDLEY nDDE.
We need Russian Imports Some one
has said that football and baseball would
cease in the United States II Russian
horsehids fsiled to come here. This par
iticular hide IL tough, thick. nrm. un.
Istretchable: no good for gloves. but just
right for punishment II comes from q
/ beast whose ancestors have been left
exposed to Ruszion winters for ages
Thicker hair than on any other variety
Of horse ID the gift Of this hardy brute.
In his final form he 10 sported as coat
of fashion; or fashioned into coat for
sport. We imported Russian horsehides
to the value Of 100000 last year.
variess skins.
We need Russian imports. Herds on
unnumbered hills and on boundless
steppes surrender their lives yearly for
us. Calves, cattle. goats. sheep. and lit-
tie lambs-bellowing, bleating myriads-
provide skin imports that. last year. rep
resented q total OF 81. 0o0. 900. Rare and
durable bindings. soft shoes. and some
OF the parchments that proudly hang on
walls to testify Of scholarship come In
My lady's Astrakhan coat granting 1t Ia
a skin and not the cloth imitation)
comes from Russia. for 1t Is not yet
worth while to mention the effect OF
the Karakule sheep imported alive into
farther Texas some few years ago.
Neither Is II worth while to tell my lady
by what unspeakabie cruelty the tight
curied black. beautiful skin Of the lamb
Is prepared for lovely shoulders From
Rtro ~io nd w
1t continue to come.
Woods, Fibres, and Furs.
We need Russian Imports. Coarse. very
coarse woods, of a kind obtainable no.
where else, come from the valley Of the
Don and from Russian-Asia- They form
the body Of many carpets. They do not
affect the value of any wool we raise.
They now come In free. and should have
always done SO: for II We are civilized
enough to need carpets and our own
wool is unsuitable. then the right kind
is necessity and not a luxury. we
paid Russia $4,000 for this necessity
last year.
OF fax we imported 8. 10000 worth
OF miscellaneous furs, originating In
Russia, much came here, but not direct:
for its furs are exported raw, chiefly
to Leipsic in Germany for treatment. dye
ing and shaping.
Our Total Imports.
Altogether we imported s2s,0ooooo worth
OF products from Russia last year-things
we had to have. In no line Of the above
imports have we enough supplies to meet
our own needs We make some return
in shoes as will be seen later. Except
possibly the parchment testimonials, the
entire list in one OF necessities. Even II
a severance Of all diplomatic relations"
as Ambassador Guild puts II, should arise
from the present unsettled status be-
tween the two countries, nevertheless by
roundabout ways we should be obliged
to pay Russia its price for these things.
Russia's Inviting Field.
We need Russia's market. 1t is one
of stupendous scope. One-seventh of
the worlds land area is there, in one
unbroken body. In 1907 sne had 49,
100000 population. all of whom must
dress warmly-no airy costume. such
as some OF our little brown brothers"
wear. We send her directly only about
s26,000.000 worth of our products.
That is because we record as going to
Russia only those things leaving our
shores consigned to Russia. Through
Consul General Snodgrass, Of Moscow.
we know that she consumed $4,000
swallows up 100000 worth of type
writers a year, which means that her
business men do write. She buys rosin
by seven figure totals. She buys cop
per. But her imports of copper and
rosin will fall of, because she can get
them ultimately from her own mines
and pines
Farm Machinery.
Her premier purchases, because 81
their Significance for the future of her
people. lie in the direction of all kinds
of farm machinery. Her vast steppes
resemble our prairies. These oceans of
fiat land are being brought under cul-
tivation. She paid US a 100000 tri-
butte last year for the inventive genius
of our McCormicks. our Dsres, our Far
quhars. and others. Reapers called for
binder Irvine, and we sold 100000
worth last year. Every desire or need
of hers that we meet establishes our
market the better. for we are dealing.
in the majority of her population with
a people just awakening to modernity
and its created desires. All sorts of
Yankee hardware trails behind the
farm implements. Machine shops and
railroad shops are full of demands.
Ambassador Guild says that there is a
constant invitation for American ma
chinists and American stationary en-
gineers to go over there and establish
factories
Our Total Exports.
The Ambassador and Mr.. Snodgrass
both claim, with some slight discrepan-
cies, that Russia paid us last year $780,
100000. Our -four meets the competition
of hers. Our New England shoes are
under foot in her cities. One shop is
said to be selling 600 pairs a day In St
Petersburg, a trade that has grown from
little or nothing in eighteen months. The
country people are not our shoe patrons. |
for they cope with mud in summer, along |
poor roads, and with snow in winter.
The call of the Russian market is strong. |
Her population is more than twice as
T,yo M;ll;or.;-.. Whoe.