The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-08-01
RUSS|A'S VAST
BUYING POWER
CITED FOR U. S.
World Can Not Ignore Land
With s150,O0O,0OO People,
Institute Told.
LED BY STRONG MEN
American Engineer Tells
About Progress of
Experiment.
BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS,
Scripps-HOward Foreign Editor


WILLIAMSBURG, Mass, Aug. l.
-PotentialitieS of the Russian mar
ket can be made of great mutual
value to Russia, the outside world
and ourselves, in the opinion of Col
onel Hugh Cooper, consulting en-
gineer and designer of $45,000,000
hydroelectric plant and irrigation
system now nearing completion in
the Ukraine. He spent rlost Of eight
years in southern Russia.
Cooper spoke at the session of the
Institute of Politics here today.
The world simply can't ignore
150,000,000s people, occupying one
sixth the land surface of the globe,
with natural resources greater than
are to be found in all the rest of
Europe put together, Cooper said,
nor can it be denied that they repre-
sent a major problem in the world
today.
Has Great Buying Power
'The peace treaties which the
United States has helped frame
since 1918," the speaker declared,
are excellent, "but we know that
treaties are worthless if not sup
ported by an economic program that
produces dependable and satisfac-
tory standards of living.
These standards require natural
resources and most of EIrppes nat
ural resources happen to be in the
Soviet union. Europe never can
hope to enjoy satisfactory living
standards until she secures a large
new market for her export produc-
ton, and Russia has a greater po-
tential buying power than can DO
found in any other country.
IF the United States proceeds in
diligently, the potentialities of the
Russian market can be made of
great mutual value to Russia and
the outside world.
1.-THE world is making big mis-
take in understanding Russian
leadership, the speaker warned.
Strong Men at Helm
They are not mediocrities, or "a
lot of common convicts," as people
outside of Russia so frequently
classify them. True, he said, many
Russian men and women went to
prison because they rebelled against
centuries of tyranny, but in prison
they. had time to do lot of serious
thinking on how to improve the liv-
ing conditions of the downtrodden.
I'VE stand face to face with two
radically different schools of
thought" said Cooper. zone is
capitalism, and the other Commun-
ism. However much we differ with
it, and however much we disbelieve
in what it advocates and stands for,
it is trying to compete with capital
ism for world supremacy.
And in that competition Russia
is led by strong men who sincerely
believe they will come out victorious.
Is Colossal Experiment
Communism" the colonel de-
clared, "is an expression of dissat-
isfaction with existing economic
conditions, and when we consider
that in Germany today more than
100000 unemployed are receiving
state aid, and nearly that number
Of unemployed are on the dole in
England, we should not be greatly
surprised if Moscow seriously be-
iieves world revolution may be
approaching.
Cooper views the Soviet idea as
a colossal experiment which must
run it's course, either to success or
failure. Such being the case, it
is his belief that the world has
much to gain by adopting a friend
ly and helping attitude. At the
same time, he believes Russia's in
ternatio1al activities are a mistake.