Norwich bulletin., 1920-03-09
CLAIMS TRANSPORTATION IS
 RUSSlA'S GREATEST PROBLEM

Moscow, March 5.-(By The A. P) M. Krassin, who as head of the bol- shevig departments of trade and com merce and transportation will be a prominent member of the commission to visit England to discuss the re- opening of trade with Soviet Russia through the cooperative societies, de- clared today that the burning ques- tion in Russia was the solution of the transportation problem.
 We need the immediate help of western Europe by the delivery of To- comotives, repair material, equipment and repair shops," M. Krassin said. Six years of external and civil war have contributed to the work of destruction, not only of cars and To- comotives, but shops, tracks, signal systems bridges, and the entire equip ment of transportation. The govern ment is now engaged in the recon struction of trackage and 5000 bridg- es have been rebuilt.
 Lack of personnel, coal and naptha and the use of wood fuel are a serious 1 handicap. We shall keep up the mili- ! tary transportation necessary until peace has been restored on all fronts. ] Then our first duty will be the dis ; tribution of food to hungry Russia
 with the available transportation fla /! cilities. Until then there is no use Of talking exports.
 Realizing this, Russia is prepared to pay for good locomotives, machin- cry and repair material. American To- ] comotives are desirable, but other
 types, especially the French, offer nc
 difficulties of adoption. Efforts will be
 made to facilitate eXportation, the
 government pledging the assignment
 of a devnite number of locomotives
 to lines in the regions where goods
 for export are located
 Statistics as the the exact amour
 are not available, but there are largt
 quantities of hemp, flax, wool, wheat butter and eggs, besides other commo
 dities, The harvests of 1915 and 1911 are in part untouched, as there ha
 been no export since the war. Clothes shoes, medicines and manufacture,
 articles are needed in large quanti l ties The basis of payment for eacl | article must be worked out pendin the economic rehabilitation of Rus
 sia.
 We have no illusions with regar l to the present state of our credit w : will make few promises, but are pre- 7 pared to keep all the obligations W may contract. Some of our indus tries with the exception of certai machinery, may be rehabilitated with ? 1 out outside help, notably textile. | Twelve milton pounds of cotton ar t now in Turkestan awaiting transpo : tation and the wool supply closer 2 n hand is sufficient for the factories | : ensure production.
 : Regarding concessions to foreig Q capital tho government is prepared
 adopt liberal policy, providing tl
 Soviet laws regarding labor are ot
 served. Foreign firms will be give ' the right to export definite part . their output. No concessions will ! J giyento industries now fully develoT n ed and nationalized. There are or le portunities for foreign capital in ne Q railroad lines, foundries. by-produc |, ot the coal industry. salt chemical a beet sugar and cotton plantation " There are 500oG hectares Ca hocta T. equals 2.47 acres) '-.ased land avai le able for cultivation with model methods and machinery tts The question of compensation f eee losses sustained by foreign capit y has not yet heen settled. but as V | stated last winter to Bullitt (WiIlia
 C. Bullitt. an American newspap N correspondent who visited Russia 4 1919) Soviet Russit is ready to p
 her debts.
 The great potential strength of Russian industry lies in the fact tn i- it belongs to the workingmen. Tn e, will work as one man to bring abo to Russia's economic rehabilitation"