Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-10-20
Our Trade With Russia

BY Frederic 7. Haskin

BY Frederl
| Washington, d. c., Oct. 17.-Since
the European war, much has been said
! and great deal accomplished In pro-
noting our trade relations with South
/. America. The opportunities for sell
i ing ready-made clothes and farm i'm
/ plements in China. have also been
, widely discussed and emphasized.
Within the past year, an even larger
opportunity has appeared on the
American commercial horizon-name-
ly our trade with Russia.
, This question Is now occupying the
close attention of progressive business
!, men all over the country. Represen-
tatives of several large American firms
are now in Russia investigating trade
conditions: one New York concern
has established its own steamship line
for the purpose of carrying goods back
and an organization of Chicago manu-
facturers recently set out for Russia
with shipload of samples. Societies
are being organized both In this coun-
try and in Russia for the purpose OF
promoting trade relations between the
two countries, among which the Amer
lican-Russian chamber of commerce in
New York and the Russian-American
chamber of commerce in Moscow are
the most important. American bank.
ing interests are taking up the ques-
ton Of establishing branches through
out Russia; one big New York bank
has already added Russian depart
ment to its establishment with we'll
known Russian at its head, and the
young bank clerks and enterprising
American statesmen are spending
three nights week in commercial
night schools learning to speak Rus
sian.
So the American business man is al
last beginning to appreciate Russia's
trade possibilities. Here is country
with population one hundred times
as great as that of South America;
with natural resources great and unde-
veloped, and with a large market for
manufactured goods. Before the war
this market was supplied almost en-
tirely by Germany, which not only ex-
ported products to Russia but acted
as a middleman for other exporters.
lion dollars worth of American goods
was formerly sold in Russia every
year. big percentage Of 1t was actu-
ally imported through Germany. The
war has changed this. and it is doubt
full if Germany will ever again hold so
complete trade monopoly. The pro-
clamation of peace is not likely to OBJ
literate Russia's bitterness nor to de-
stroy her present antipathy for things
made in Germany
In the meantime, at any rate, the
field is open to competitors. Ameri-
cans are making good use of the time
to secure as many contracts as pos
sible. but England and Japan are not
neglecting their opportunities. A
Russian-English chamber of commerce
has recently been established for pro-
noting Anglo Russian relations and as
for the Japanese. their statesmen are
travelling all over the county.
Capturing the Russian market is go
ing to he every bit as difficult as win
ming out in South America, with the
additional handicap Of closed shipping
routes and disturbed shipping facili-
ties. The Mediterranean, OF course. is
hopelessly blocked, and only an &C.
casional vessel is allowed to pass
through the Baltic. SO that the only
open ports OF any consequence are
Archangel and vladivostok, which are
closed by icebergs part of every
year. Here shipping is greatly con-
gested. and railroad TRANSPORTATION to
interior points uncertain, because the
government is using the railroads for
military purposes.
Owing to the high prices OF all COM
modities occasioned by the war and
the low exchange value of the Russian
ruble at present, Russia is trying to
get along with as few purchases as
possible, but the past year has seen
rapid increase in American imports.
During the first three months Of 1916.
100000 worth of American goods
was imported into European Russia.
as against 100000 for the same
months in 1915. Through the agencies
of the Russian-American societies an
enormous interest is being aroused in
American manufactures. In Vladivos-
tok for example, which is city
with population of some hun
dred thousand persons, American
mand for gloves of leather or cloth.
hosiery for men and women, ready
made clothing of the lighter weight
variety-for the Russians wear heavy
outer garments OF fur-overalls and
clothes of cheaper variety for laborers
and fishermen, and American shoes.
What is needed. however, is more
American statesmen. The Russians
will not buy articles by catalog-they
must hear statesmen and see samples.
In the past. Russian fashions have
been copied from American fashion
plates. but the cloth was furnished by
of the transaction. The fact that the
government has caDitulated, has cring.