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88 Some Thoughts on Resumption of Trade With Russia(Continued from page 86jin Russia in connection with the KishtymCopper Mines and other concerns.With regard to trade with South Russia,The London Daily Telegraph, ofMarch 17, carried an announcementstating that arrangements had been concludedwhereby it will be possible for astrictly limited number of business mendesiring to proceed to Constantinopleand South Russia to travel via Marseillesand Malta. Business men wishing toavail themselves of these facilities wereasked to apply to the Russian Section,Department of Overseas Trade. ThomasCook & Son were to make the necessarybooking arrangements. The announcementadded that it was understood that aweekly steamship service had been establishedbetween Salonica and Odessavia Constantinople. In The LondonTimes of March 25 it was announced thatMr. Jules Hessen, chairman of the EasternCompany of Russia, the largesttransport concern in Russia, had concludedan agreement with the CunardSteamship Company by which that linewas to make a regular service betweenBritish and Russian ports.A most interesting announcement justmade is that Jonas Lied, organizer of theKara Sea Route through the Arctic, hasreceived the authorization of the Omskgovernment to send fifteen vessels to themouths of the Obi and Yenesei duringthis season. Return cargo will be thereawaiting them.It is only just to say that our ownShipping Board has declared itself readyand willing to establish sailings to Russianports whenever cargoes can be assured.We should use every element which canbe made constructive in the upbuilding ofRussian economic life. A group in theAmerican-Russian Chamber of Commercehas presented several plans for comprehensiveeconomic action in Russia: recently,for example, a scheme for anAmerican forwarding company, withwarehouse facilities at all the principalports. This scheme has the approvalalso of the Council on Foreign Relations.The Russian Economic League is composedof prominent business men of Russia.It has become lately somewhat thefashion in certain circles to condemn thisclass. While it is true that Russia wasbackward in commercial development andthat, as a result, Russian business wasdesigned more for profit than for service,it is equally true that these Russian businessmen are quite alive to the changeswhich have taken place in their country,and ready to meet the new conditionswith their undoubted business experienceand capacity, which we cannot afford toneglect.On the other hand, there are in Americaat this time accredited representatives ofthe great Co-operative Societies. Negativecritics have pointed out several faultsof these organizations. It is my beliefthat these faults may be classified eitheras inherent defects of the Russian characteror, as in the instance of tendencyto speculate of some local co-operativeorganizations, due to the dearth of goodsin the country. The Co-operative Societiesrest on a firm foundation and aredestined to play a very large role in thedevelopment of Russian economic life,particularly in the realm of distributionto the peasant millions. Business menwould do well to understand these organizations.In all dealings with Russia there mustbe borne in mind the lack of brains persquare mile; the need of competent people.It is not sufficient to send merchandiseor to invest money in Russia, butone must invest himself. In no countrvis there such an opportunity for personalservice. Business in Russia cannot bedone from a swivel chair in New York.Recently the Bolshevik or so-called"Soviet Government" has been seekingcommercial connections with the world.Immoral in principle and an economicfailure in practice, this group, as wasstated earlier, has capacity and desireonly to propagandize, not to construct.Substantial concerns will scarcely be attractedby the proposals of this group,which denies the ethical principles ofcommerce and which has ruined the businessmen of its own country. Such a"government" cannot have permanence.