New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-10
Our Trade With
Petrograd Expands
Through New Port
Consul Reports Increased
Exports From Russia by
Way of Archangel
By North Winship
(American Consul for Petrograd Dis
trict)

The value of the articles invoiced at
the consulates Of the Petrograd con-
sular district for expectation to the
United States showed in 1915 re-
markable increase, amounting to l49
per cent, over the preceding year. The
exports declared at Petrograd itself
increased 67 per cent and those de-
clared at Helsingfors (Finland) de-
clined to the insignificant total Of
s7,97l worth of books. The great ad-
vance for the district was registered
at the port of Archangel, which en-
tered into the declared export returns
for the first time through the opening
there of an American consular agency
late in the summer Of 1916. The
agency at Reval, closed In 1915, re-
NAMED closed throughout 1916.
Archangel is the only port in the
Petrograd district at which goods may
be loaded for direct steamer passage
to New York and other American ports.
Thus it is more convenient for the
shippers or shippers agents to invoice
their goods at Archangel, the point OF
shipment, rather than at Petrograd, as
was done in 1915 and in the months
of 1916 that preceded the opening OF
the Archangel agency. The large
amount of tonnage available at Arch
angel, on account of the great num-
Der Of steamers arriving and discharg-
ing, has also had its effect on the ex-
ports from this point.
The large increase for the district
is undoubtedly due to number OF
factors. Among them is the improve
mcnt of railroad facilities from the In
terror of Russia to Archangel, which,
however. was felt as an influence on
increased exports only in the navlga-
ton season of the summer OF 1916.
Another large and gratifying factor is
the opening of new lines OF export
from Russia TO America. A still fur-
Their cause of increased exports was
the Russian governments greater Will
ingness to grant export permits, OF
which the large quantity Of raw hides
exported through Archangel in 1916
affords an illustration. Russia is at
present suffering from a shortage oil
tanned leather, not on account OF
lack of hides, but on account OF DIM
culties regarding tanning fluids, labor
and fuel Russia has never tanned all
the hides produced, but in the carly
part of the war it was feared short
age of hides might arise and the ex-
port embargo was closely applied.
Trade in Principal Articles
At Archangel comparison with pre-
vious years is, of course. Impossible
Hides were exported to the amount OF
1851 ,6s4, which shows large increase
for this district, since in 1915 only
S42,938 worth were invoiced at Petro-
grad. The increase for the district
in fax and its products was S2o5,3' l.;
as s69I.slf was invoiced at Petrograd
md Archangel. while only s406,44O was
invoiced at Petrograd in 1918. Inc
fusel oil invoices decreased from S3l9,-
727 at Petrograd in 1915 to S98,298 at
Petrograd and Archangel in 1916. The
sausage-casing exports increased marx
edly. s3O.999 worth being invoiced at
Petrograd and Archangel in 1916, while
only Sl5,07l worth were invoiced at
Petrograd in the preceding year.
Russia's need of manufactured goods
increases almost hourly, on account OF
the exhaustion Of stocks on hand at
the beginning OF the war. AT the same
time, the possibility OF supplying the
demand is steadily declining because
the home production is inadequate and
importation is difficult.
TRANSFORMATION facilities in Russia,
from the northern ports to the nearest
points on the interior rail system, were
better than in 1915, owing TO the widen
ing of the gauge of the Vologda-Arch-
angel Railroad, and in 1917 the situa-
ton will be even better, owing TO the
completion of the Thurman Railroad.
These improvements, however, have
been more than offset, so far as pri-
vate shipments are concerned, by the
fact that Archangel and Kola and the
other Arctic and White Sea ports are
under military rule and are officially
closed to private imports other than
those for which special import permits
have been granted.
Although the ruble is at heavy dis
count in New York, this factor is not
20
since almost all prices, especially on
the class of manufactures imported
from the United States, have risen 200
to 400 per cent II it were possible to
get goods TO Russian ports and from
there to the points of sale and con-
sumption in the interior, the market
here would be boundless and highly
profitable.
After-War Prospects
After the war the amount Of Ameri-
can goods sold here will depend en-
tirely on the amount of labor, time and
money that the United States invests
in this field. Competent men must be
sent, we'll supplied with samples and
literature in Russian, and they must be
allowed considerable time before profits
are expected. II must be realized at
once by American business men that 1t
will be impossible to conduct profitable
business by correspondence in English
with a country lying two weeks away
by the fastest travel in times Of peace
and utterly foreign to American habits,
customs and traditions. Practically
the same is true of correspondence in
French, and correspondence in Rus
sian is only slightly better. The prob
lem of credit resolves itself into a
patient and painstaking expenditure Of
time, labor and money, as all these ele-
ments are involved in the work and ex-
pense necessary to investigate credit
standings in Russia itself This also