The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-01-07
1921 Year of
Economic Battling

Moscow, Jan. 6.-Nineteen hundred
and twenty-one has been q year of
diplomatic and economic battling for
Soviet Russia. 1t brought the aban-
donment of the government monopoly
of domestic trading and gradual re-
version to capitalistic methods, .em-
pered in such way as prevent dam
gerous splits in the small Communis-
tic group which dominates the gov
ernment. But the trade for 1921 has
been many times what it was in 1920.
and the reopening of shops on the old
capitalistic basis has afforded an op-
portunity to sell in legal way manu-
factured articles which are in great
demand.
Hampered by the triple desire to es-
tablish trade relations with important
foreign powers, to protect the Third
Internatonale, whose headquarters are
in Russia and to hold the Communistic
party in Russia intact, Lenine and his
associates were in a precarious situa-
tion even before the drought produced
widespread famine in the Volga area
Krassin managed to negotiate trade
agreements with England, Germany
and several minor powers, but the for
eign trade commissions which came
to Russia failed to find the large sup
plies which Bolshevist leaders had
heralded throughout the world. The
concession plan which Krassine and
his associates had devised did not ap-
peal to foreign investors. Confidence
was lacking. Old owners had no de-
sire to invest more money in factories
which had been taken away from them
and other foreigners could not be in
duced to take factories whose title was
clouded.
The Bolshevist government lacked
the gold necessary to buy abroad and
could not find creditors. The govern
ment announced it would make import
and export business possible for indi-
viduals and corporations, under gov
ernment control. This belated state
ment came in October. Commissions
are working out customs tariffs and
1922 probably will sc far larger ex.
port and import trade if the govern
ment makes good it's promise to re-
lease its grip on foreign business.
Leslie Urquhart, a British mining
man, who attempted to obtain conces-
sions to work the mining properties
which he controlled in Russia before
the Bolshevist regime, said it would
be impossible for him to operate in
Russia until the government stops
the activities of the Cheka, or secret
service, which he insists is stronger
than the central government with
which concessions are negotiated.
The Cheka always has had an i'm
portant part in directing foreign trade
arrangements. Many commissioners
selected by the Foreign Trade Council
have not been permitted to leave Rus
sia. Foreigners are unabl to under
stand tn relations between the Cheka
which operates under Umslicht, and
the socalled central government. 1t is
not clear whether there is a dual gov
ernment, or whether the men who are
generally recognized as heads of the
government use the Cheka and thus
avoid direct blame for acts which
meet with public disapproval.
Official figures for the foreign trade
of Russia during the first nine months
of this year show that the exports to-
tailed roughly 100000 tons. These
exports were chiefly raw materials OF
partly manufactured articles, such as
timber, railway ties, leather, fur, tar
bristles, hair, asbestos and graphite
Thirty y-three per cent Of the exports
went to England. Forty-six per cent
chiefly wood and fax, went to Latvia
for expectation to various countries
The value Of goods exported abroad
from January / until August 81 was
about $1,14O,00O.