Seward daily gateway., 1925-07-16
TRADE BETWEEN U. s.
 AND RUSSIA EXCEEDS
 VOLUME BEFORE WAR

spite the diplomatic breach between Washington and Moscow, and the complete absence of the usual off cial agencies for promoting commer- cial intercourse, Russian-American trade continues on the increase.
 Commerce Department figures for the calendar year 1924 record a total export and import business with Rus sia amounting to $49,000,0O0, while statistics compiled by the Russian Information Bureau here reach the even higher figure of s55,90O,000. The showing leads Information Bureau officials to predict a 1925 total of upwards of s75,OOO,OOO, compared to an average annual interchange amounting to about $45,OOO,OOO be. fore the World War.
 Trade agencies set up in the Uni ted States by the Russian govern. ment and by various Russian indus trial groups have supplied the ma chinery thru which this vast trade is carried on. In some measure these agencies have taken the place of the consular agents who are missing be- cause of the failure of the United States government to officially re- ceive emissaries of the Soviet. The trade machinery thus provid. ed has it's hub in New York City, where several Russian commercial; agencies maintain headquarters. The system is described by the Russian Information Bureau as follows:
 In principle Soviet foreign trade is monopoly vested in the Peoples Commisariat of Foreign Trade. En practice the Commisiriat confines it. self to regulartory 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 paidup capital of s1,000,00O, and with both Russians and Americans among it's officials. It represents directly most of the great Russian monopo- lies, including the coal, sugar and electrical trusts. Its 1924 trade turn over amounted to $17OOO,OOO.
 Next in importance is Centrosoyuz- America, Inc, which is the trading agency of the Central Union of Rus sian Consumers Cooperatives, a group representing millions of mem bers. Last year it handled more than s4,O00,0O0 worth of business, mostly in furs imported from Rus sia.
 The Russian Union of Agricultural Cooperatives likewise maintains it's trading agency in the United States. It is called the Selskoysuyus, but as it's turnover is comparatively small Another trading medium is the AL lied-American company, which repre- sents 38 American commercial firms in Russia and last year handled g. $4,000,000 business.
 The Information Bureaus statistics show tht Russian purchases in the United States are about four times the sales of Russian products here The principal Russian exports are grain and food products, petroleum products, flax, furs and timber
 At present manufactured products, especially tools and machinery, are large factor in Russian imports. Russian textile mills also are buying large quantities of cotton. Last year, according to theInformation Bureau, Russian organizat ations pur- chased in the United States $38,000,- 900 worth of cotton, s2,250,000 worth of farm machinery, $1,4O0,O0O worth of industrial machinery, ,s75a ,00Q worth of oil we'll supplies, and s2,- 100000 worth of flour to supply cit ies affected by the bad harvest. Most of the cotton purchases here are made thru the All-Russian Tex tile Syndicate, which controls prac- tically the whole textile industry of the Soviet union. The shipments are made in cargo lots to the Soviet port of Murmansk, mostly from New Dr. leans.