Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-24

- VENING TIMES, Glasgow.-Hu-
- man credullty is an amazing
thing. One would have thought
IL that hoary old fraud, the three
card trick, had entered on a
well earned retirement long ago. Even
the most innocent voyager through this
wicked vale of tears, one would imagine,
could hardly avoid developing cynical
smile when, in railway carriage, or
anywhere else, an affable and ingratiat-
ing gentleman invited him to spot the
lady," find the red" or "cop the ten"
But recent revelations show that the
ancient dodge is still raking in the
shekels for its skillful practitioners. Can
one have much sympathy for the folk
who are separated from good hard
cash in this way? But it is not always
the simple Jay" who is caught by these
rogues. No doubt they lay their traps
Ito circumVent the unsuspecting wight, "
and no doubt also in the shop talk of
these sports" all their victims are
technically mugs" But as often as
not the man who is caught in their
cleverly spread net is not the hay
seed" unused to the guileful ways of
the world, but the shrewd enough fell
low, who is insnared by his confidence
in his complete ability to take care of
himself. He pits the keenness of his
eye against the skilled manipulation of
the cardsharper's hands. If that were
all that was in it, there might be no
great reason to complain. The law Of
up. But, of course, the three-card
trick, as worked by the profess
sional sharper, allows for no miscar-
riage of result, in so far as that ones
interests are concerned, and the most
sophisticated amateur is deluded as cas-
lily as the veriest clodhopper diffusing
the mild aroma of the stable. So, don't
be a mug! The gambler knows there
are fools both of high and low estate.
X
Moscow to Hold
Fur Auction in March.
U. S. S. r. Economic Review, Mos
cow.-Early in March, 1881, fur auc-
ton will be held in Moscow under the
auspices of the All-Union Fur Syndi-
cate, according to an announcement OF
the Amtorg Trading Corporation. This
auction will be the first in the history OF
the Russian fur industry. The an
nouncement states that the sale should
be of special significance for the de-
velopment of direct trade transactions
between the fur industries of the U. S.
S. r. and those of the United States.
It is pointed out that the Soviet Union
supplies about 25 per cent of the de-
mand of the world fur market, and
that the United States is the chief pur-
chaser of its fur products. 1t consumes
probably about two-thirds of the entire
fur exports of the U. S. S. r.
Nevertheless, American firms still
continue to make large purchases
through intermediates instead of buy
ing direct from Soviet organizations.
This method prevents the necessary
contact between producer and con-
sumer, and also raises the cost of furs
for American firms, who carry on most
of their fur trade in this manner.
One of the objects of the coming
auction in Moscow is to help solve this
problem. Through the invitation to
representatives of American firms to
visit the U. S. S. r. and purchase furS
on the spot, it is hoped that direct
business transactions between Soviet
organizations and American manufac-
turers will be established on better
basis.