Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-11

price has still to be announced,
Moscow statements speak of the
deal as signed and sealed.
It is interesting that Russia has
offered India things 1t must import
itself: Textile machinery, power
generating equipment, compressors
and pumps, machine tools, testing
equipment, etc. Only trickles of
these have reached India, although
iron and steel, dyes and newsprint'
have arrived. In five years, 1885,
1854. Russia took 1858 million
worth of midas goods; India only
$l0.3 million worth of Russian
products.
Bankruptcy in Sweden
In 1916 the Swedish Russian
trade pact was widely advertised.
1t envisaged Swedish sale on credit
Of billion kroner of Swedish goods
over flve years. Later the pact was
extended through 1852. In 1946
Sweden's commerce minister, Gum
mar Myrdal, was sure an American
depression was minent and
wanted to protect his country in
this way. OF the billion kroner,
barely half has been taken by Mos
cow-on 15-year terms.
A Swedish news item in Septem-
Der. 1854. threw some light on Rus
sian trade benefits" Three small
shipyards supplying fishing trawlers
to Russia on contract went bank
rupt. due to hard bargaining by
Moscow when the contracts were
made two years earlier and to frac-
tional rises in construction costs.
Also Moscow refused to pay for
some equipment installed on the
craft.
'Extrovoeont Promises
Senator Mike Mansfield, Demo-
crat Of Montana. in his report on
Soviet technical assistance In non
Communist Asia. concludes: Soviet
performances has not lived up to
Soviet promises. In part this is be-
cause Of the exaggeration inherent
in Soviet propaganda. In part, also.
1t is q reflection of the domestic
economic difficulties of the USSR.
Appealing to the desire Of Asian
states for industrialization, the So
Wet Union has made extravagant
promises Of advanced industrial
equipment and this is precisely the
type of assistance which it is least
capable of rendering"
The SovietS, says Mr.. Mans
field, view technical aid as
something to be incorporated in
a : trade agreement and open
ing the way for economic and
political penetration. 1t has been
applied mainly in Afghanistan
and India and peripherally in
Burma and Indonesia. 1t is a tacit
admission Of the success OF our
technical aid. he adds, but should
not panic us into trying to outbid
the USSR.
The latest report on the Battle
Act governing security controls on
east-west trade notes that recently
the USSR has been saying in its
propaganda that it is prepared to
offer technicians. equipment and
credits to underdeveloped coun-
tries: and its satellites have echoed
the sentiments. These gestures be-
came more sweeping and noticeable
in 1854. Some technicians and
equipment were sent to Afghanis-
tan and negotiations for a steel
mill for India were announced.
Through trade fairs and advertising
the Red governments have man
aged to convey an impression
among many people that they are
doing much more than they are"
Afehoniston Pavement
The United States Information
Agency has collected a number Of
Soviet technical and economic &C.
tivities abroad in a document.
Dangers in Soviet Offer of Tech
nical Assistance to Countries of the
East" With the political dangers,
though they are interesting, we
are not here concerned. The docu-
ment, however, throws interesting
light on Moscow's economic prom
ises and performance.
Afghanistan. where there are
now reported to be 100000 Soviet
nationals. finds some IS per cent
Of its exports going to the USSR
while its trade elsewhere has been
drying up. Deliveries of Soviet
goods to Afghanistan, however,
have caused severe disappointments.
Repeatedly only a sixth of the
gasoline contracted for delivery
since 1850 has arrived. Cement
delivered has been so defective it
has had to be rejected. Streets in
the capital. Kabul. paved with So
Wet materials late last year, already
are cracked and pitted. Trucks
delivered are reported half defec-
tive. And prices for some of the
Soviet goods are sometimes a third
above those obtainable elsewhere.
While the Communist countries
49,. have sought foreign trade and
widely publicized their ability to
deliver, businessmen in the nom
Communist countries have painfully
discovered that this posture of pro-
duction potential is mainly bluff.
In case after case the Communist
bloc countries have failed to meet
their trade commitments. They
have been late in making deliveries,