The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-09-14
SLAY MASSES FOIL
GERMAN TRADE PLOT
Ragged and Hungry. People
Refuse to Allow Goods to
Leave Russia.
SOVIET PACT WORTHLESS
WOrkmen Halt Trains Bearing
Goods-Laborers Will
Not Load Ships.
SOVIET PACT WORTHLESS
BY the Associated rrcss.

Srock HOLM, Sept. IL Cdelayed) Ger.
man dispatches received in Sweden
speak of the commercial agreement he.
tween Germany and Soviet Russia in the
same general terms as thosa employed
by the Boishevik press. These dos.
patches maintain the same degree OF
secrecy concerning the details as tina,
which NJ. Joffe, the Boshevik Ambassa.
dor, preserved when he made his fynr
trip from Berlin TO Moscow to complete
the agreement
The masses in Russia we're displca sed
1t contemplated the sale of goods 20
badly needed by the Russians. and cs.
pecially the transfer to Germany OF t-e
fabrics which the Soviet Government
had coniiscated in great quantities IN
Moscow and Petrograd.
Germany satisfied.
The Germans also arc apparently DIS.
satisfied with the agreement. because
their efforts to ship goods have been -
fiercely resisted. and they believe Co.
many VIII nave inc Sdnle tTOuDIe III TINS
case that she encountered in the
Ukraine. In other words. they seem to
feel that the Bolshevlki do not expect
to abide by their treaty.
Even before Maria Spiridonova made
her exposures concerning the German
plans to deprive Russia of the cloth,
leather and food II needs so badly the
Russian laborers and railway men were
effectively checking lanse movements Of
goods to Germany. In Petrograd the
dock laborcrs refused to load ships with
goods that were billed for Sweden hu,
clearly intended for the Germans
Trainmen sidetracked suspected cars and
refused to haul them to Pskov.
Less than month ago Bolshevif
| troops at Orsha rioted because n train
load of cloth was about to pass across
the German lines. asserting that they
would advertise the fact Throughout.
Russia IL the Germans persisted in TAX.
ing away Russian fabrics.
situation Scares Teutons.
The situation became 30 grave thai,
| tho Germans abandoned their plan TO
ship the fabrics Small shipments may
slip through, but the large consignments
escape the laborers with difficulty and
| the circumstances are so widely dis
| cussed in meetings that even the close
press censorship does not prevent wide
| publicity.
| For some time the Bolshevik officia 8
defended shipments TO Germany on tho
ground that the foodstuffs and clotns
we're for Russian prisoners hut tho ro-
turned prisoners told such terrible stories
or their privations that the Russ IN
! masses refused to accept the explain
ton which was denounced as a pr
text OF corrupt officials charged with
| passing goods for consideration.
Millions of yards of cloth are locked
| in the Moscow and Pctrograd store
| houses. closely watched by agitatOrs
| and the Soviet Government risks IT.
existence II II allows the Germans %
ship wholesale lots at time when tha
/ masses are clothed in rags and are fac
! ing the approach Of winter thus and
| without bread and fuel
Gold Payment Is Plot.
| The Russian public j. I'm the dark a.
| 10 the gold payments tho Sovicts agreed
| to make to Germany. The rumoreH
! amount varies from 5000. 900, 200 N
! !, ono, 600. 600 rubes The whereabouts
of the Russian gold reserve is a myster,'
| and many bankers doubt whether az"
considerable amount romans to the rroe-
| the German claims. The State RAM.
has not made a complete report since r-s
| Eolsheviki seized the Government, q.
| the statements OF the Minis.er 90,
| Finance made so far are describei =
| Russian bankers as "a list Of liahi!i ..c
on one side OF the sheet and prin
| presses on the other"
No authoritative statement is ava =.
able as to the actual amount OF n,,uc
money in circulation, but the sum 8
! probably not less than $4,000 GOO pJ
| rubles.
When the Bolshevilii evacuated Per.
| grad last February train was sen
! N'zhni- Novgorod carrying various -.
curitics OF the state Sank and mouc,
the whole being said to amount to -
| 900, 100000 rubles. The Eolshcl e
boasted that this was the richest tn
! Oh record. These securities undouhteJ' ,
/ have been scattered widely because ol
| the REPEATED political uprisings in Min
| NovRorod. and the value of many of thE
securities Is probably doubtful necaue,
| Ofthe absolute Industrial purnlNss Of I .f-