New Britain herald., 1925-07-09
RUSSIAN TRADE IS
 AT HIGHEST MARK
American Business Greater Than
 Before War

Washington, July 9 tPs--Despite the diplomatic breach between Washington and Moscow, and the complete absence of the usual offi- cial agencies for promoting conner cial intercourse, Russian American trade continues on the increase.
 Commerce Department figures for the calendar year 1924 record total export and import business with Russia amounting 10 s49,O00,0 900, while statistics compiled by the Rus sian Information Bureau here reach the even higher figure of s55.90o,- GOO. The showing leads Information Bureau officials to predict a 1925 total Of upward of $75,O00,000 com pared to an average annual inter change amounting to about s45,000,- 0oo before the World War.
 Trade agencies set up in the Uni ted States by the Russian govern ment and by various Russian in- dustrial groups have supplied the machinery through which this vast lIdub le Cdl IlNu Olls LII sDlllt lllEdsuIc these agencies have taken the place of the consular agents who are missing because of the failure of the United States government 10 off cially receive any emissaries of the Soviet.
 The trade machinery thus prov- ied has its hub In New York City, where several Russian commercial agencies maintain headquarters. The system is described by the Russian Tntoramtion Bureau as follows:
 Tn principle Soviet foreign trade is a monopoly vested in the Peoples Commisariat of Foreign Trade. In practice the Commisariat confines itself to regulatory supervision, and the actual trading is carried on by various commercial organizations, in some of which foreign private capi- tai Is allied with Soviet capital.
 The principal agency for general trade in the United States Is the Amtorg Trading Corporation, incor- porated in New York State with a paid-up capital Of s1,00n,o00 and with both Russians and Americans among its officials. It represents directly most of the great Russian monopoies, including the coal, sugar and electric trusts. Its 1924 turnover amounted to s17,O00,o0o,
 Next in importance is Centrosoyuz- America. Inc, which is the trading agency of the Central Union of Rus sian Consumers Co-operatives, a group representing millions Of mem bers. Last year it handled more than s4,ooO,000 worth of business, mostly in furs imported from Russia.
 The Russian Union of Agricultural Co-operatives likewise maintains It's trading agency in the United States. It IS called the Selskoysuyus, but its turnover Is comparatively small. An other trading medium is the Allied American Company, which repre- sents 3s American commercial firms in Russia and last year handled t4.OO0,O00 business
 The information Bureaus statistlc' how that Russian purchases In th' United States are about four time' the sale of Russian products here The principal Russian exports are grain and food products, peroleun products, flax, furs and timber.
 At present manufactured products especially tools and machinery, are iarge factor in Russian imports. Rus sian textile mills also are buyinf large quantities of cotton. Last year according to the Information Bnrea' Russian organizations purchased il the United States $3S,000,0o0 wort of cotton, s2.oc5,O00 worth of farn machinery sI.400,oOo worth of in dustrial machinery S750,oon vortl of oil well supplies, and s2.7oo,oo worth Of flour to supply cities affect ed by the had harvest.
 Most of the cotton purchased her are made through the All-Russia Textile Syndicate which control practically the whole textile industr Of the Soviet union. The shipment are made in cargo lots to the Sovie rort of Marmansk, mostly from NeI nrleans