Evening star., 1924-08-21
BY SEYMOUR B. CONCEB

cession at the end of the first year
the first available opportunity. The
bolsheVlk government has since been
hawking the Wolff share in the mixed
company about capitalistic Europe;
but no one has been found to buy in.
System of Import Licenses.
A number of foreign concerns were
operating in the Soviet republics in the
Caucasus. For time all went well until
the Soviet Foreign Trade Monopoly
suddenly stepped in last May and in
troduced system of import licenses
Licenses were refused for goods lying
In the customshouSes or already
shipped, but these could be sold pro-
Vlded the monopoly was given 60 per
cent of the profit. The companies sub
mitted perforce to this gouge and
were then suddenly served with no.
tlce to accept the government as a
nfty-hfty partner under the mixed
company system. German firms which
failed to comply were forced to de-
liver their entire stock of goods to
the state trade department and then
llQu1dated and expelled. A British
concern, more fortunate in the cir
cumstances that the Anglo Russian
negotiations were in progress in
London, obtained a stay of execution.
but is on the list for expulsion as
one way or the other.
Norwegian interests which had
large Industrial investments in pre-
war Russia and were appropriated by
the bolshevikS obtained in compen-
sation a timber concession in north
ern Russia. The terms of the con-
cesSlon were so attractive that the
concession was regarded as a really
equitable compensation for their con-
to operate, however, trouble with the
authorities, trouble with their work
men, trouble of all sorts and origins,
developed. A short time ago the Nort
wegians realized that under such
conditions the concession was value
less to them and are now chiefly ins
terested in getting out. III
Soviets Refused to Pay. ii
A British friend of mine who also
lost prosperous business and large
cash and property resources under
bolshevik naturalization Of property
was offered in the same way COM
pensation through a concession and
after looking over the field saw d
chance to recoup his losses through a
concession to build houses and Office
buildings in Moscow and elsewhere.
The bolsheviks welcomed the sugges-
tion on account of the great housing
shortage in Russia and gave him q
very attractive looking concession.
He undertook some contracts to build
for departments of the Soviet goy.
ernment. Prices were fixed in the
contracts, but after completion of the
work the sums were arbitrarily re-
duced. Appeal to the bo1shevik courts
was useless. He built a numberI OF
apartment houses, but had SO much
trouble with his workmen that be
had to abandon Independent building
operations. Now he undertakes only
such buildings on which he can get
private Russian contractors to do the
work and take the risk. His own
employees are constantly subject tp
arrest under the bolshevik system Of
terrorizing all Russians from relal
tions with foreigners unless they
agree to act as spies for the secret
police, and he has great difficulty in
keeping a staff together.
The bolshevik system not only
works on the old axiom that the
power to tax includes the power to
destroy and can be so used, but has
discovered new weapons against the
private capitalist. The boycott, like
| the tax weapon, is openly preached
as a suitable means of bringing
| private. capital to its knees. with no
legal recourse against the boycotter,
and foreign firms undertaking to do
business in Soviet Russia must count
on the possibility Of being faced with
boycotts, strikes, "ca' canny" and
sabotage measures, etc, without any
possibility of defending themselves.
Even the foreign representatives are
called on the carpet and subjected to
inquisitorial treatment and threats by
the all-powerful political police.
In one case, however, the police
have been successfully defied. Mr..
Bevan, representative of one of the
British steamship companies, was
called to account by the political
police for technical infractions of the
emigration regulations. Or, rather,
the chief tried to call him to account.
Bevan, however, took charge of the
interview, announced that he was
going to do the talking, said his say
and departed. The government. again
not venturing to affront the British
government during the Anglo-Rus-
sian negotiations, did not arrest and
expel him, as expected. but asked the
company to recall him. The company
declined, not caring much what hap
pened In view of the new American
immigration. restrictions. and Bevan
is still on the job-the only resident
Of Russia who has ever proved too
much for thu dreaded Cheka.