Evening journal., 1921-07-30
RUSSIAN TRADE
IS WILLO' WISP
Enormous Contracts Fade
Away When There's Talk
of Real Money
BUSINESS MEN
ARE SKEPTICAL


trade has become a sort of will-o'-
the-wisp to European newspaper
men and American newspaper cor
respondents in the European cap
itals. Scarcely a day passes that
some Bolshevist agent does not an
nounce a gigantic contract entered
into by the Russian Government
with some great concern, usually a
German or English corporation.
II all the locomotives and cars
which Russia has been reported 10
have contracted for in the last year
were delivered the former empire
would require additional trackage to
accommodate them.
At one time an announcement was
made that 10000 locomotives were
contracted for in Germany alone.
When the report was run to ground
Il was learned that an actual de-
posit had been made on a contract
for 100 locomotives. and It cannot be
learned that any OF these have been
delivered as yet.
Boishevist agents also announced
a contract for 10000 tractors had
been made with an American auto
mobile factory. The owner Of
this factory advised the soviet
agents that delivery OF the tractors
would begin as soon as Bolshevist
agents had soviet gold turned into
Swedish coin and deposited In
Stockholm bank. The gold was not
forthcoming. Th c tractors were
not shipped. but the soviet propagan-
dists failed to herald that fact as
widely as they did the signing Of the
contract.
one American concern which
shipped 40 tractors TO Reval with
out having any deposit on them still
has the tractors in storage in Esth-
onia, and there is no indication that
the soviet officials will fulfil their
agreement 20 take them.
Since the commercial agreements
were framed by the Bolsheviki with
Germany and Great Britain there
has been noticeable cooling OF the
Bolshevist foreign representatives. to-
ward America. For the moment
they pretend to be extremely indif-
ferent as to whether they establish
closer trade relations with America.
But this is apparently not giving any
uneasiness to Americans who have
actually been in contact with Boil
shevist agents and have tried to close
contracts on a strictly business basis
A Danish exporter and importer
who is representing many American
firms in. their efforts TO get actua
/ contracts with the Soviet Govern.
ment, backed by substantial cash ad
vances, told the correspondent: 90
am done chasing after this threaten
1 ed Bolshey1st business. There hav
been some contracts closed. know
few men who have sold the Bol
shevicki stuff which they actuall
had to have, know men who hav
made a lot Of money out OF thei
/ business. But / know lot NOR
who have signed up wonderful pape
contracts that never came 20 any
ching. That has been my expert
ence. have been able to get won
derful promises, but / couldn't ge
any gold, and l didn't want TO have
a lot of stuff stacked up in storage a
I Reval. as many men have. who have
sent shipments into the Baltic with
out advance payments sufficient q
insure the delivery and final pay
ment."
German business men are appar'
emily not enthusiastic about Russian
business on the terms which the Boil
shevist agents offer, and there is n,
disposition to execute Wholesale con
/ tracts without something more def
mite in the way Of payment thar
soviet signatures German paper
continue to be skeptical about IN
possibility Of trade with Soviet Rus
sia, especially since the Soviet Gov
ernment has refused to grant ad
mission to many German busines
representatives who have sought q
make an investigation OF economi
conditions there.