The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1918-12-07
DIFFICULTIES
or BANKING
4 RUSSIA
American Fnancier Could
Not Locate the Bank
Director at Petrograd
BOLSHEVIKI SOLDIERS
GUARDED THE BANK
Nothing Doing After a
Week of Persistent
Effort by the
American

Prof. Henry c. Emery has recently
returned from Russia where he went
two years ago to make a study of the
banking system there for the Guar
anty Trust Co. of New York city.
He left Russia early in 1918, and on
March 10, was taken prisoner by the
Germans in the Aland Islands, part
of Finland Until the middle of April
he was kept behind barbed wire, and
! lived in a dug-out in the camp of
! Tachel, reported to be the worst camp
in Germany, and filled chiefly with
| Russian soldiers After five weeks in
| this prison he was released and sent
to a small town in Pomerania, where
he was allowed somewhat more free
dom, and finally was sent to Berlin.
He was released and left Germany on
October %, arriving in this country on
November 10.
Here is his account of the difficult
les of doing any banking business in
Russia in war times:
Probably many banks and CONNER
cial houses in this country have found
it difficult to understand why they
could not get prompt action from Rus
sian banks or houses in the fall and
winter of 1017-1918, and probably
their representatives in Russia came IN
1 for much undeserved criticism.
AS an illustration of the difficulty
j of securing even the simplest inforna-
ton / may relate the following ex-
perience: The president of a promi-
+ nent American export firm came to
me in Petrograd III January of this
wear, with letters from the Guaranty
:. Trust Company, asking me to look up
j the record on q small transaction,
fiaeleIy to ascertain what instructions
i had been given by us to certain
4 bank in Petrograd regarding payment
on q draft l told him that all the
banks were closed, but we started to
see what we could do. Arriving at
the bank and finding everything IN
. front completely barred, he was in
chned to give the matter up, but l
! knew Russia we'll enough by this time
to search for the secret path.
The process was as complicated as
: I have since found following the
: t"Green Line" in the New York sub
: way. Taking certain shifty looking
!, individuals, who were clearly trying
s to avoid observation, as guides, we
| went through two courtyards and a
s coal cellar, and finally found a stair
2 case. At the top we came against a
locked door with a peep-hole covered
/ by slide. Here we announced we
e were bringing an important message
t from America, and managed to get
t bv the guard. Inside few Bolshe-
|. vik soldiers were in charge; after
o some search we managed to find one
1 of the former directors. He told us
n that our little matter was in the hands
of Mr.. K, another director, but thai
q Mr.. X. did not dare to come to the
II bank, and he didn't know how to fine
n him. Having finally extracted Mr.
o KS house address, we started out, bu'
t. were caught at the door by messen
: ger, evidently sent by the director
who whispered to US that we nigh
try in the Office of tourist bureau
: under the bank. Presenting ourselves
here we asked if they knew anything
he of Mr. K They expressed surpr1s
II at our searching for him there, ant
y claimed to know nothing about him
af We asked if they could give us hi
W telephone number, and they sinpl,
lg gave us the telephone book, for us t.
as look it up ourselves.
u While we were doing this, a small
n man who had been sitting muffled u
a in furcoat in corner, came up an
ne asked whom we wished to see, an
s then announced himself as Mr.. <.
was clear that his practice was to 81
n in retired nook and look over any
Oh body who might be inquiring for hin
n and then arnounce himself when tn
Tn party seemed safe. Hearing US tai
OF English, he was not afraid to al
ly proach us. Having stated our cas'
q iMr. K. explained that it was impos
g sible for him to get into the bank t
IS examine the records and even
Oh felt that we had played our last care
81. However, there always seems to b
Oh one more card to play in Russia, an
ef Mr.. K. explained that one of tn
he clerks was confidential agent of h
up own, and reported to him every nigh
He would ask him to purloin the ne'
essary book from the bank and brin
it to him, and we were to meet O
We the following Monday to examine tf
ad records.
at After making a second trip to M
W. K, we found, however, that his pa
ticular agent had come under suspi
ion on the part of fellow clerks, as
strike-breaker. ct should be remen
We bered that in addition to the confu
ion caused by the Bolshevikis takir