BRITAIN AND RUSSIA.

Evening Star, Issue 21006, 21 January 1932, Page 2

BRITAIN AND RUSSIA.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —On Jiinuary 14 I wrote a short letter on exploring and exploiting possible agreements in trade with Soviet Russia. In your issue to-night an interesting and very arresting review is given of Mr H. R. Knickerbocker’s latest book under the heading of ‘ Soviet Export Trade.’ I have not read this latest book of Knickerbocker’s, ‘Soviet Trade and World Depression,’ but after reading this review! looked up an article written by Leo Trotsky away back, some time in July, wherein, after reviewing the growing progress of Russia with her backward people and unilied social economy, Trotsky has this to say under the heading of ‘ A Supposed Agreement with Britain ’; “ Not as being of any practical value,” says Trotsky, “ but as an illustration of what i mean, let me recommend for consideration the following suggestion: —Mr Lloyd George is promoting the plan of public undertakings’ worked out' by Liberal economists, with the double object of liquidating unemployment and,

reorganising and rationalising the conditions of industry in Great Britain. You know better than I tho terrific character of these two tasks. Let us suppose, however, only for a moment and for demonstration purposes, that tho British Government were to sit at a round table with the Government of the U.S.S.R.. in order to work out a plan of economic co-operation over a series of years. Let us suppose that this plan embraced all the most important branches of the economy of the two countries and that—unlike so many other round table conferences —it were to emerge with quite concrete and cut-and-dried mutual agreements and undertakings. For such-and-such a number of tractors, electro-technical units, textile machines, etc., England would receive an equivalent quantity of grain, timber, perhaps raw cotton, all, naturally, according to tho current prices of the world markets. This plan would be devised to begin modestly 'but to develop in tho character of an inverse cone year in and year out, broadening to draw an ever larger number of undertakings into its circle, ultimately contriving that tho most important economic branches in both countries should dovetail into one another like the bones of a skull. Can one doubt for a moment that thereby oi?thc one hand the coefficient of increase now contemplated by tho Soviet Government would, with the help of British technique, be vastly increased; on the other that Great' Britain would satisfy the most important needs of her imports out of the Soviet Union under tho most favourable conditions? I touch not at all tho question" under which political auspices such a collaboration would be possible, nor under what political system Lord Beaverbrook’s dream might be realised and he attain an analogous aim by such a collaboration with the dominions. I only take the economic principle of a centralised economic plan, as it lias been proved to-day in tho experience of a poor and backward country, enlarging it in imagination to coyer tho mutual relations of the advanced nations with the Soviet Union, arid with one another. I see therein a spacious outlook for mankind.” And now we have Mr Knickerbocker, in his latest book, showing the intense drive the Soviet Union is making to placo its products'to procure this necessary machinery Trotsky mentions, and which llussia needs, and in return giving Great Britain things she needs at a price that will bo mutually acceptable to both. When Trotsky wrote his article it was an imaginary picture, but seeing Great Britain does some trade with the Soviet why not go as far as possible, and bring the dream to an actual fact?* If the Prince of Wales and other breeders of cattle can sell cattle, and Mr Stanley Baldwin’s company can 1 sell 30,000 tons of hematite to the value of £IOO,OOO, and other British firms do business under tho Labour Government with Soviet Russia, surely now they cannot turn a somersault and cut off their noses under a National Government, when it is the revival of trade Britain needs to carry on and reduce her unemployment. Tho tending to-day is to rationalise industry. That means in plain business language to abolish unnecessary waste. Tho present system is wasteful in many ways. Competition is still a big factor in Capitalist economy, and by substituting co-operation for this, under a unified social economy such as pertains in Russia, this is abolished. The object of a social system should be to produce the highest possible standard in the health and education of a people. Are> private enterprise rationalisers patriotic enough to make our Empire fit for heroes to live in, instead of a person having to be a hero to make ends meet at all? This is also an imaginary picture, but, still, those who first conceived the idea bla/.ed it forth, and those who follow them are also continuing the work.. Russia is the first country that has such a basis of economy, and is endeavouring to put it into operation. She is terribly handicapped, but although She will ns a result take longer to accomplish her plan, still, with such an objective and. the care of tho children being her primary and especial concern, the future cannot bo othei t’ an successfully accomplished. Will others follow suit and co-operate and assist her, thereby also assisting themselves to get nearer to a system that bids fair to bring a little nearer “ Thy kingdom on earth.” —I 'am, etc., P, Nkilsox. January 20.