Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-04-29
HOW i. s. EXPERTS
SIZE Up TREATY.

WASHINGTON Russo-Ger-
man treaty restoring full diplomatic
trade relationship between Germany
and Russia is of little immediate
significance in business or trade
way, according to Uncle Sans
commercial experts.
Its present Importance is political
not economic, they maintain. How
ever, it's commercial Importance may
be of tremendous value to Germany
in another generation.
DR.. Julius Klein, chief of the hu-
reau of foreign and domestic COM
merce, declares that whatever the
effect Of the treatv may be political
ly it is not likely to weld effectively
the economic resources of the two
countries.
Allen Goldsmith, departmental ex-
pert on German and Russian COM
merce, says that for the present at
least dealings between the two coun-
tries will have to be primarily on
a basis of barter and that this trade
is not likely to affect greatly pres
ent currents of commerce.
Russia's Needs
1.-THE big advantage of the treaty,
commercially" says Goldsmith, "is
that it puts Germany in a position
to obtain full commercial informa-
ton which she may later use to ad-
vantage.
,"What trade is developed for the
present will be largely a matter of
barter, and Russia just now has lit
tie with which to trade on that
basis. She has a considerable stock
of furs, which may be traded for
German textiles. But generally
speaking, she has neither agricuI-
tural products nor manufactured
goods, nor money.
zone proposal which may make
possible some considerable exchanges
between the two countries, how
ever, is that Russia supply raw ma
terials to Germany, Germany to pay
for these with finished products pro-
duced in German factories. For
Germany's part in this transaction,
she would have left a large part of
this material for her own use or for
sale and export in finished form to
other countries.
Russia needs, more than any
thing else, structural materials and
textiles. Germany had these for
sale. But until Russia is able to pay
in something more substantial than
paper rubles, the problem of financ-
ing her trade will require some
thing more than a mere treaty with
Germany.
"The futility of mere trade con-
facts with Russia, until some gen.
eral basis for credit or stimulation
Of Russia's ability to produce the
wherewithal with which to pay,
would seem to be Illustrated in the
practical failure of Great Britain's
trade agreement, entered into a year
ago."
But Goldsmith believes that if,
25 years from now, Germany is able
to dominate Russian commerce, she
may reap a rich reward from her
present move.
Never Good Comrades
DR.. Klein, on the other hand, is
convinced that Germany and Russia
never will be harmonious bedfel-
lows.
THE German is loud in his pro-
testations that he, better than any,
one else, knows Russia" Klein says.
ut isn't so. The average Russian
has much nearer the point of view
of America than of Germany. He
likes Americans better than Ger
mans.
And, on the other hand, America
understands better the needs of Rus
STA and can more clearly meet her
demands. We never will let Ger
many act as a feeder of American
products into Russia. When Amer
lean products go into Russia they
are going to be sold by American
statesmen and stand on their own
feet as American-made products