The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-01-20
ELABORATE PLANS FOR .
TRADING WITH RUSSIA
It Is Expected That Bolshevih Will
Permit Free Interchange of Man
ufactured Goods and Raw
Materials.

| uIdctuIe0 JoouS anu NdW
Materials.
Paris. Monday, Jan. l0-Elaboratt
plans for the resumption OF commercial
relations between the Russian people
and allied nations have been worked
out, and il is expected the bolshevik
will permit the, free interchange Of
manufactured goods and raw materials
1t will be comparatively simple mat.
ter to distribut goods among the Rus
sian people under the agreement an
nounced last Friday by the supreme
council, it is said by Russians who as
sisted in the negotiations that pre-
ceded the announcement. Surplus stocks
of wheat, flax and lumber await ex-
port from Russia and all that is needed
is ocean tonnage to carry these prod.
ucts to the markets of the world,
Details of the plan to be followed
were given the Associated Press to-day
by Alexander NJ. Berkenheim and Con
stantine Krovoposukotf, respectively,
president and member of the foreign
board of the Russian cooperative, I'M
ion, through which trade will be carried
on. These two Russians conducted the
negotiations with the supreme council
which brought about the adoption of a
policy which reversed that followed by
the allies during the last two years.
1T must be understood the agree
ment has no political character what
soever," said M Berkenheim. 1T is
merely an economic, financial and hui
arrangement. Russian CO.
operative unions, organized 90 years
ago, now number 500 branches and have
$4,000 local societies, with 25,000,000
These societies operate
Russia, whether under boil
shevik rule or controlled by other gov
1t is a sort of Russian eco
nomic red cross.
In February, 1919, we laid before
the British foreign Office, and also be-
fore the secretary of Premier Lloyd
George, our plan for the exchange of
Russian raw material for manufactured
goods from allied countries. M, Kro-
gopouskoc and myself were summoned
ast week before the supreme council,
where the plan was adopted.
This plan is very simple. We have
n Russia great stocks of wheat, cereals,
'attle and fax which owing TO the COM
,lete suppression of expectation during
he last few years and the record crop
If 1919, are now larger than Russia |
,ver disposed of previous to the war,
This is especially true in the interior
Il Russia, where consumption has also
I'VE require in return farming and |
lgriculture implements, cloth, shoes, lov
medical supplies. Ship tonnage must |
,e furnished by the allies, as Russia's
hipping has completely disappeared.
We must import first in order to ex-
'ort. Ships may enter Black, Baltic
nd White sea ports loaded with goods
eeded by Russia
NJ. Berkenheim would not say wheth-
r this tonnage had been promised by
ireat Britain
Russian peasants absolutely refuse to
ccept any sort Of paper money and
he question of payment for goods ex
orted presented considerable difficulty,
ut solution was reached, according
D NJ. Berkenheim, as follows:
Imports will come to Russia con
gned to us he said "They will be
attributed to our stores throughout |,
he country, and we viii purchase grain
nd cereals from peasants. paying them
! rubIes at fixed rate. We will also
i've them scrip emitting them to pur
hase from our stores imported goods
,r the identical amount of rubles we
aid them when they were selling their Il
wn stocks. All dealings must be done
trough our cooperative societies" II
The correspondent informed NJ. Berk- Z
nheim that il was the belief in France |
rat the bolsheyiki would supervise dis !
'ibution and allow goods to reach Il
ieir sdherents. while the rest Of the
opulstion might go barefooted and II
lked \
"0ur stores are not under the control
the bolsheviki,p he replied when &
} Moscow government nationalized all {
ores and closed them, our stores con l
nued business undisturbed. This was
ot through any undue friendship with
" We idIlp RoftiHuFDt. Dul DtCdnSe
the high esteem in which the coop
ative societies are held by the popu-
tion throughout Russia. We do not
ish to enter into politics, but feel
ire our headquarters in Moscow can !.
ach satisfactory agreement with
e soviet authorities for an impartial !
stribution"
M Berkenheim said he did not know |,
neither the agreement included Amer
a. but he expressed the hope that it
ould not be long before similar ar :
ngement was made with the United
ates.
While NJ. Berkenheim and M. Kro-
'pouskof insist the arrangement is /
crely economic. a different conception
placed upon it by Russian residents
Paris. The Russian consulate gen =
al was to-day crowded with Russians ;,
sirous of obtaining transports to re- 4
rn to their country. Prince Kouda i
eff, the consul general. said the ref :,
'ees believed that diplomatic relations :,
d been resumed with Russia and !;
at a state of peace had been reached.
: required extra clerks to-day TO is =;
. and wise passports, but they were :,
engaged in explaining that q
nditions were unchanged and that il u
,uld be inadvisable to attempt to re- a
rn TO Russia at present. n