The Raymer enterprise., 1921-04-14
BIRTHPLACE OF BOARDS
OF TRADE AND TRUSTS

He who thinks that vast m0nOpolies
are modern enterprises, or that cham
bers Of commerce are latter day civic
institutions, or that Prussians drst
strove to implant Kultur with sword
In 1914. will be disIllusloned II he
reads the history Of Riga, chief city
Of Latvia, on the Baltic, through which
city such intercourse as has been had
with Russia In recent months has
largely been carried on.
Riga, which was attacked BY Ger.
man troops in 1919. had to wrest 1t.
self free from Prussian control once
before, and thereby hangs the story
Of an early exploit like the attempted
subjugation Of Belgium and the depor-
tation Of Its workers.
About the middle Of the twelfth cen
tury few German merchants estab-
llshed settlements about the mouth of
the Dvina. which empties into the Gulf
Of Riga nine miles below the present
city of Riga. Whereupon Bishop AL.
bert, In the role Of missionary, sought
to colonize the territory in 1901 by
building town where Riga now
stands and the following year he
founded the Brethren Of the Sword.
The new order was well named. II
killed where 1t could not convert,
though slaughter was not the main oh.
ject after foothold on the promising
Baltic port was obtained. The "mls-
sionaries" were satisfied to reduce the
native population to serfdom, ap.
propriate the land, and build fortified
towns and castles to uphold this min
lature feudal system In land they
aimed to exploit.
But the Livonians are a liberty low
ing people. They resisted despotism
then, and many times later, just as
year or so ago they rebelled against
Bolshevism. When their early oppres.
sors became too severe they arose and
drove out the missionaries" Later
Livonia, and Riga. which became Its
capital. espoused the Christian relig.
ion; and the Order Of the Sword
merged with the Teutonlc Knights and
continued to operate In other quarters.
Though Prussia's political hold was
shaken of Riga, II maintained its
economic ties there, and individual
Germans usually have been important
factors in Its commerce. This phase
of German influence was consum
mated when Riga, In the thirteenth
century, became member OF the
Hanseatic league, the first great trust
which for two centuries controlled
practically all the trade channels Of
continental Europe north Of the Alps
The third modern aspect Of medi-
eval Riga Is to be found In the fam.
Gus "Blackheads." 1t was this body
which soon came to have the civic I'm
portance, and apparently many Of the
functions. Of chamber Of commerce
or board of trade today.
Originally It was organized by the
young traders who came 10 Riga, as
social club. to afford fellowship In
addition to the needful board and
lodgings during their sojourn. Since
the members were mostly young men,
progressive, and somewhat assertive,
they took their name to distinguish
themselves from their elders, or grey
boards. Naturally their table talk
turned to ways Of promoting business,
and soon the club became. In effect, an
organization for Bigger, Better and
Buster Riga" as the modern trade body
would phrase II.
From the beginning of the World
war Riga was All objective Of the
Central powers, because Of its lmpor.
tance as focal point for the lumber
from White Russia and Volhynla, the
flax from northwestern Russia. and
other products from a wide area with
which II has rail and water c0mmnni.
cation. Its pre-war prosperity Is In.
dicated by the growth of its popula.
tlon from 102,0O0 In 1867 to more thap
100000 In 1918.
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