New-York tribune., 1918-07-25
Commission To Be Named
by President May Re-
main in Washington
Could Work Best
In This Country
Business Interests Want
Exporters to Deal With
Cooperative Bodies

The Russian Economic Commission
which 1t IS expected President Wilson
Will soon name as the instrument for
coordinating American efforts toward
the rehabilitation of the emaciated ma
ton, may perform its tasks in Wash
lngton, instead of going to Russia, it
was learned yesterday. Influential trade
interests, who have been comforting
with the Administration on this matter,
have expressed the opinion that the
commission would be able to function
more efficiently and more expeditious-
ly in this country.
lnasmuch as private concerns and
such bodies as the American Russian
chamber or Commerce have already
made careful study of Russian needs
in goods, it is said there is no need
OF sending a group of men represent
ing the government to Russia merely
since there is no strongly centralized
government with which the commission
could deal, it has been pointed out that
the formality of travelling over to Rus
sia or Siberia would occasion needless
delay.
Virtually all the plans of trade re-
sumption which have been submitted
by business interests to the govern
ment, it is understood, have suggested
that the Russian cooperative societies
constitute the only practical agencies
with which American exporters can
deal. Agents of the American Economic
Commission therefore can be intrusted
to make arrangements with the central
cooperative societies under instructions
from the general headquarters, trade
interests have pointed out
Bartering Goods Tentative Plan
The tentative plan for picking up
again the threads of economic inter
course with Russia, which were broken
soon after the fall of the Kerensky
government, t,provides for the exchange of
American manufactured goods for Rus
sian raw material on a basis of simple
barter. 1t is understood that the the Rus
sian cooperative societies will decline to
surrender their raw material until the
American goods are in sight. Though
there are many hundreds of these socie-
ties in Siberia and European Russia,
they can be represented in foreign
trade, it is understood, by ten or fifteen
central organizations.
Observers of Russian conditions say
that the people need especially medi-
cal supplies, general merchandise, boots
and shoes, underwear, clothing, small
tools and agricultural material. Nearly
$10,00O,000 worth of goods which had
been bought and paid for by Russians
before the rupture in trade relations,
according to estimates of exporters, is
lying in warehouses in this country,
and may furnish q basis for the earliest
shipments.
In the opinion of foreign trade men
interested in Russia the job of the
commission will be to regulate the re-
sumcd trade both here and in Russia in
such a way that the Russian people as
whole-and not a few protiteers in
either country-will derive the benefits.
1t has been proposed that in regard to
Russia the commission take over the
functions of the various government
agencies at Washington that supervise
foreign trade.
Three important technical problems
which the commission, if appointed,
| will be called upon to solve, and which
the Administration is now said to be
wrestling with, are, First. the weed
ing out of agencies In Russia and also
ed upon to contribute to the main OBJ
ject of trade resumption, helping the
Russian people; second, deciding the
amount of American production that
can be spared to Russia and what kind
Russia needs most, and, third, protec-
tion of the interests of American for
warders and manufacturers who send
goods to Russia under the proposed
plan.
Will Protect American Shippers
In regard to the last point, it will be
the special business of the government
body, it is said, to make sure that in
barter the American manufacturer
gets $1,000 worth of raw material from