Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-08-23
aysslA.s GREAT WEALyst
or NATURAL RESOURCES
Can ats.d ire straia.s.f Nser Expense
Better thar Amy os tho othes Bess
l;Geria1sa


Hya<nfnSrun. rug. Z2-Iwstn tie
rreassst whclQeaie destruction Of
treasure in 81 history SRking piaoe.
with war wrought sSonoRoio taSsaS pill
ing up in sJGal stapendo.1s aSSr0&3%es
as no pants ever caeSsd< the question
as to E0w long each of the balliSer-
eHtS can stand the fearful ssrais. upon
it's resources Is becoming RR import
ert apo fSa.sY as Interesting as are any
O: those more stirring Quasaons
growing ont ct the purely military
paasA ST tbs worad-wae In a bulletin
just issued the National Geographic
socssSY sSetchas the pre-war economic
coadssaS.a Of Russia, which, having ex-
pended $500. 100000, having lost hun
ireGn Of millions of dollar5 In foreign
hundreds % millions NOSE. Is facing
an substitute future OF warfare undis-
mayed, confident. The bulletin RAIDS:
~Conmerciai and industrial ravoln-
tion ware stirring in Russia before t6c
war; the we-S aS SpeninH its magf:it1-
cent domain was being rapidly carried
forward: plans for developing ies al
most unlimited resources were In
process of confident organizations:
modern cities wera sprtnging up like
mushrooms In rich Siberia; textile
metal and other industries were laying
firm foundations, and foreign trade
had been brought UP to about $780,
a0O, SEQ. What has been called the
most powerful country or the future
was finding itself, was preparing to
enter upon the centuries of expansion
that 1t will need to exhaust the posi-
bilities OF it's boundless natural
wealth.
about two and one-half times
larger than the United States. with
an area of S,650.0O0 square miles and
a population OF 170.000.000, which is in
creasing at the rate of 100000 a year,
Russia's natural resources resemble
those of this country and are proper
tionate. 1t has nearly 90e,000,000 acres
of forest-compared with the 544. 4OO,-
900 acres of the United States-much
OF which, oven now, is carefully admin
istered, and which, one day, will be
the worlds first source of timber. 1t
, has 25o.00O,o0o acres OF land under
: cultivation, while this ecountry has
! cultivated area OF about twice as
/ great; but Russia can expand her
I farmlands twenty-fold and still leave
| virgin land to the future 1t can be-
! come the granary and the stock farm
/ OF the world. While its mineral wealth
has not yet been carefully surveyed,
known supplies of petroleum, metals
/ and fuel abound. Russia is a CONT
nent in itself, and likely the riche-t o.
them all.
Scarcely two score years have pass
ed since Russia began with seriou7
purpose the task Of her internal de-
velopment. Progress, during the first
years of this period, was hesitant. IN
the last decade, however, 1t has dou
bled its foreign trade. Of which sc per
cent. is eNportO; still tht3 foreign
commerce is leJ than half that OF the
United States. But Russia bs3ore tho
war had scarcely begun to gather
steam for the prosecution of her tcsks.
There remain hundreds OF millions o.
acres of fat lands to be brought under
the pillow; tens Of thoucands Of fac
tory plants to build; rich mines to he
opened; great railway and canal sys-
TINS to be built; millions OF home
builders to be moved into Siberia, tho
Silver East of the Tsar's Empire, and
many millions of illiterates to be edu-
Gated to a higher standard of life end
of efficiency.
Russia is a vast store house OF raw
materials, and must for many year1
remain purchaser of machinery End
manufactured goods in Increasing
quantities. Yet the mills of Russia
consume $1S0,000,000 worth of raw
cotton annually, and Russian iron and
steel rails have already found their way
into competition in the markets of the
world. Germany bought more from
Russia than any other three countries
and sold to the Russ'an1 about half OF
all, their imports. These two empire
cid tremendous, thrivin~ business
with one another before the war, and
@ great stream CT German capital
flowed into the Northern Empire for
Investment. England Holland. Aus
tria- Hungary and Italy, in the order
named, followed Germany in business
with the Russians. German trade pro-
motion was thoroughly organized
throughout the land, and in Riga, Pc
trograd and No-cow names of thou
o-1ds of German frs could be seen.
"Foodstuffs formed about 65 per
cit. of Russia's total export trade;
NV materials and partly manufacture
ed goods about 80 per cent, and man
ufactures about 8 per cent. Russia
imports all those things that highl..
developed and specialized countries
have for sale. Therefore, Russian
trade has been a most valuable one
for the older nations.
Russia, as are but few other great
nations. is self-sustaining in the mat
ter of raw materials; but the Musco-
vite Empire is dependent upon the
factories of other lands for every step
that 1t may take in the upward scale;
1t is even dependent upon foreign
manufacturers to maintain standards
in its wide-sweeping territory as high
as they are today. There is fabulous
riches awaiting transmutation by
Rqssian industry, but Russian indus