The Washington herald., 1922-05-01

continued from rage OHe.
be some general amnesty of passion
in Europe and general cooperation
among European people for the
avoidance of greater ruin and new
conflict The idea of Genoa was
and make some scientific plan of
cooperation. But that idea was
challenged instantly by hordes of
little minds. utterly unable to rise
to such heights of forgetfulness
and forgiveness, and by hard, ir-
reconcilable minds who still be-
lleve force to be the only argument
of life. and new groups of powers
in close alliance the only policy of
safety.
No Clear Victory Yet.
Genoa has been the conflict be-
tween those two ideas and it is
too soon to say which has won
out. Indeed. there has been no
clear victory for either side and
the dust and fury of the conflict
still obscure many things that
have happened. What actually has
happened? Two things emerge
and they will have an enormous
effect upon future history. One Is
the close and complete alliance
between Germany and Russia; the
other is the certain return of
Russia as one of the great pow
ers Of the world.
Russia is no longer blockaded.
no longer cut of by Chinese
wall from communication with
1na LII N n
Blue Boards chamber into which
civilized peoples dare not peep
without risk of death. For good
or ill Germany has decided to
throw her surplus of energy into
Russian reconstruction and to build
her future policy in Europe on
Russian friendship. For good or
ill Russia is opened again to any
ship that may sail with cargoes
to her ports and to any trader who
may care to sell or buy in her
markets.
Possibilities OF Russian Trade.
Now. first Of all. what are the
possibilities of Russian trade?
During my recent visit to Russia
was able to gain a fair amount
of knowledge about the industrial
and economic condition of that
country. Along the valley of the
Volga with its population of 25,-
000. 900 there was a state of famine
more frightful than anything 1
have seen in the world. Great
numbers of those poor Russian
peasants with their women and
children whom l saw in villages
along the river banks and across
the snow fields must now be dead.
But help from America and
Great Britain has gone out to that
region of hunger and pestilence,
and though many more will die
before the next harvest time. yet
others will live and reap the har-
vest unless another drought comes
to destroy them. My inquiries and
much information that | obtained
from trustworthy sources proved
to me that along this Volga val
ley, which was the great granary
Of Central Europe, at least half
the normal amount of seed corn
was planted last autumn. Apart
from another drought, which God
be able to maintain themselves on
their own supplies If they can
only scrape through these inter-
vening months.
Russia's Natural Wealth.
Next year it is possible that
Russia will again produce a sur
plus of grain sufficient for export
to Germany and other countries.
Russia will produce this year and
next an immense amount of fax.
That country also has in natural
wealth vast forests of timber. con-
Id Of 0tl Nd
nous mineral resources still for
the most part undeveloped. At
the present time industry in Rus
sia is practically at a standstill
and only a few factories are work
ing in Petrograd and Moscow.
This was due to the breakdown of
machinery. the impossibility of re-
newing plants, and the starvation
of factory hands.
In actual mdney the Russian
government is bankrupt. Accord
ing to good information I received
the Russian treasury contained no
more than 100000 to 100000
pounds of gold up to last December.
and some of that has now been paid
to Germany for -ailway engines, of
which 500 are to be supplied under
a special contract. 1t is perfectly
certain to my mind that Russia.
which needs everything In the way
of manufactured articles and Is,
therefore, an enormous market for
goods of that kind. cannot pay cash
down. She must have long credit
on internal securities and undevel-
oped wealth. That Is what Ger
many is prepared to give and that
is what all other nations must be
g. urf, t-lr t..