The Washington times., 1923-05-09
j. s BUSINESS
AFTER TRADE
IN RUSSIA
Commercial interests Disre-
gard Official Policy and Com
pete With British.
CONTINUED from First Page)

course Of refusing to recognize the
present Russian government, is
nevertheless reserving to itself the
right at any later time to protest
| against any unfair and injurious
concessions granted by the Russian
government during this period.
It appears. however, that certain
great business interests in America
are not willing to go along with
our Government in the policy Of alb
staining now and entering later.
The British competition and the
German competition are stampeding
them into invading the Russian
field at once:
British Exports Jump.
4 British exports to Rugsia, it was
learned here today from British Of
ficial sources. increased from $780,
900 pounds sterling in 1921 to 400
900 pounds in 1922, while British
imports into Britain from Russian
Soviet territory increased siTnultane-
ously from 100000 pounds to al
most 18,OO0. 900.
These trade facts are held here to
be the reason why the British gov
Il
remonstrances to the Russian gov
eminent regarding the unlawful
/ capture Of British fishing craft by
the Russian governments patrol
i boats
The Russian government claims
the right to capture and discipline
/ all foreign fishing craft within
! twelve miles of the Russian coast.
/ It declines to be bound by the inter
| national three-mile limit. Officials
here point out that while our Cow
eminent is obliged to look on
/ powerlessly at British rum-runners
/ hugging the outside rim of the
| three.mile limit off New York, the
Russian government asserts and
exercises the right to capture
/ legitimate British vessels twelve
miles out from shore in interna-
| ti0nal waters.
Trade With England.
| Meanwhile the Russian govern
ment, 1t is learned, is putting on
four Russian government freight
lsteamers to run on the route from
Petrograd to Britain, carrying
| timber to Britain and carrying
coal back to .Petrograd. One of
these boats bears the happy name
OF "Karl Mark and another bears
the still happier name of ''Red
Trade Union International
Russia last year imported CSC, 900
tons of coal, and $4,000 OF it came
from Britain.
American interests now are NOV.
Ing into Russia-or attempting to
move into tin certain important
| cases in immediate connection
with British interests.
1 The Royal Dutch Shell Oil Com
pany, a British and Dutch enter
prise, is reported as having con-
tracted to take the output of the
Russian oil wells; but the Barns
dali Company Of New York is al
ready in the Caucasus developing q
considerable stretch of Russian gov
ernnental oil land, while the Amer
lean Sinclair Oil Company has Sc
cured Soviet recognition of it's
concession in northern Sakhalin,
ana the STANDARD Oil Company Of
California informs this writer that
1t still maintains it's financial claim
to Soviet concessions in the neigh.
borhOod Of Kamchatka.
Disputes GOmpers.
J. c. Vint and X. D. Adams,
Americans, are reported returning
TO blagoVeschtensk in Siberia. where
Vint, according to communication
from him to an official in Wash
I1ngtun, has been successfully operat.
ing a goid mine. Vint alleges that
there are no labor troubles in
Soviet Siberia, thus confirn,ine-
Samuel Gompers, president Of tho
American Federation of Labor. who
has continuously claimed that labor
IN Russia is now deprived of all
freedom OF action.
1t was also learned here TODAY
that a member Of the McFadden
lcotton firm of Philadelphia, having
sold $4,000 bales of cotton to
Russia has applied for entrance to
Russia In order to get farther into
the Russian cotton trade. The Rus.
sian government has Just abolished
the governmental cotton rnonouoIv---
which Is the same thing as saving
that 1t has just abolished comnun-
ism In cotton; and it has gone back
to capitalism in 1t and now permits
lanybody at will to buy and sell
lection with private money for
Iprivate gain.
United States Senator Wheeler of
| kSHe0V
Maine, and Congressman Collins Of
Mississippi, are among the Ameri-
cans who have undertaken trims to
Russia this summer season.
Significance of Trip.
Their trips. however, are not
known to have any commercial sig
nificance. Trips like that Of Irving
1T. Bush, on the other hand. are
Ithought-and, in fact, are Known
to illustrate the following situations:
/. Russian imports have gone m
to 40 per cent of the pre.war
figure.
2. American private interests are
increasingly unable to resist that,
bait.
3. The business pressure toward
American resumption of relations
with Russia has been very strong.
4. Secretary Hughes, il his poll
cies were determined by pressures,
would have recognized Russia long
ago.
S. His enemies are now joining
his friends in perceiving that his
Russian policy, right or wrong, Is
based on what he regards as q
princitle. -
Copyright, 1923. washinRton
v