RUSSIA SEEKING TRADE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXI, Issue LXXI, 22 February 1916, Page 3

RUSSIA SEEKING TRADE.

COMMERCIAL TREATIES WANTED

M. Denissoff, president of the Export Chamber of Russia, who is making a tour of the Allied countries with a view to promoting trade between Russia acd her Allies, is now in Australia. M. Denissofl! stated in an interview that Russia had been a large importer of Australian wool, tallow, and minerals, but these articles had —before the war —always reached them through Ger-' many, which had grown rich by playing the part of the middleman. The Russians were determined that they would not be exploited any ionger by German manufacturers and agents. Australians had in turn, bought Russian goods through Germany. It was hoped now that direct trade would be established between the two countries, to their mv-, tual advantage. The Russian articles that German houses nsed to send to Australia included cotton-seed and other ■oils, veneers, perfumes, velvet, lace, linen, and asbestos. In addition to wool and tallow, Russia could take as much copper, lend, antimony, tin and zinc as Australia liked to send. The great bulk of Russians imports had either come from or through Germany, chiefly through the port of Hamburg. With the money which the Germans had collected in commission, and transhipwient charges ey had been, able to make Hamburg one of the first ports in the world. The Russian people realised that not only had they themselves practically paid for all the great impi-ovements to the Hamburg port, but that, because all the while Germany was in their trade transactions taking the middleman's profits, Russia might, be said to have also contributed to the building up of Germany's fleet, her army, and everything else. Russia would never allow herself to be placed in that position again. Germany would be cut right out. Russia's commercial men and the Government were anxious to deal direct, with the Allied nations, and his mission was to carry out the preliminary work, with the object of entering into commercial treaties with the different countries with which they were in sympathy. He hoped a special arrangement would be made with Australia.