The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-10-10
POLAR REGION
 TRADE ROUTE,
 RUSSIAN PLAN
Soviet Steamers Will Carry Farm Tools and Machines I roug h Kara Straits.
By HARRY l.. ROGERS International News Service Staff Cor. reSpOndent

l Washington, Oct IDA trade route through the polar seas is the latest
 project of the Russian Soviet gov, 1 ernment which appears likely to be- | come an accomplished fact.
 The plan involves a fleet of Rus 1 sian steamers carrying farming inn tured articles from European ports | through the Kara Straits, which sep arate Nova Zemb1a from the main land, thence across the Kara Sea to the mouths of the Obi and Yenisei rivers, where their cargoes are to be eX- changed for the hides, furs and other products of Eastern Siberia.
 Fleet of Five Ships
 Already a fleet of five cargo ships is gathering at Archangel for the ex- pedition according to advices just re- ceived here from Helsingfors, and others are expected. Among the ves- age are the Trotsky and the Arcos, B. 000-ton steamers belonging to the Russian government, which have car goes taken on at Liverpool and Ham burg.
 Under prersent plans the fleet will carry approximately 10000 tons of cargo, including. agricultural machin- cry of an estimated value of $750,000. Listed among the consignments aboard the Trotsky and Arcos are 10000 iploughs, saws and other timber-Work- ing tools, 1000 tons of sheaf-binder twine, chemicals for tanning hides
 
 hunting. All this material is urgent ly needed by the peasants of Eastern Siberia, which is scarcely touched by railroads.
 the ice-breaker Lenin, which has just been fitted out at Newcastle, Eng land. Since the presence of ice pre- vents entering the mouths of the Obi and Yenisei rivers except. during about six weeks of the season, the expedi- tion must be exceedingly well timed. The fleet expects to leave immediately and to be back in European waters by the middle of October.
 Depots Established
 For months Soviet officials in East ern Siberia have been preparing for the visit of the fleet. Depots have rivers that of the Obi being at Novi, and the hides, furs and other products are being brought down to the depots on barges. In some instances the barge shipments are being made over a distance of 2,000 miles,
 An experimental voyage was made last year under Soviet auspices and according to Soviet officials proved least one expedition a season. It is | now planned to make the expedition a regular yearly service.
 Actual organizations of the project is in the hands of the All Russian Co., operative Society of London, which l acts for the Russian government. This organization has had full charge of purchases for the cargoes of the | ships already loaded, and will also assume responsibility for the disposi- | ton of the return cargoes. The "Ar- cos,' as the organization is called, | has made it's purchases in England, | Germany and Austria, some of the ploughs having come from Germany, but the greater part of the farm i'm plements having been purchased in 
 Project Old One
 Before the overthrow of the Czarist regime explorers and merchants had repeatedly urged the feasibility of es- tablishing a trade route through the Kara Sea to Siberia, but the dangers of the route, combined with official red tape, prevented the carrying out of the plas. The ships which made the voyage last year encountered icebergs, snowstorms and for many days were compelled to plough their way through ice foes. As an aid to navigation the Soviet government has set up a series of wireless stations, which are eX- pected to be used in directing the of the ships and keeping in touch with them. There are four Of these stations now in operation according to reports. and the fleet at Archangel has been kept informed of weather and ice conditions.