TRADE WITH RUSSIA

Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 117, 18 April 1931, Page 8

TRADE WITH RUSSIA

Tiie cabled announcement that Mr Lloyd George is proceeding to Russia in order to study the Union of .Soviets’ five-year plan brings to notice again the fact that little headway has been made in regard to a resumption of trade on a large scale with Russia since the serious setback such a course received by the revelations in the Arcos case in London two or three years ago. The five-year plan is claimed to be the most ambitious effort of its kind promoted by the Soviet, and it embraces every economic feature likely to lead to stabilisation of trade, finance, exchange and internal production, and seeks to extend the present provision for overseas credit and interchange of goods. In Russia there is a vast market for agricultural machinery, textiles and other goods, large orders for which, no doubt, would materially help to alleviate the unemployment position in the Mother Country. Mr Lloyd George has been an advocate of trade with the Soviet, and possibly because he believes that trade is going a-begging there lie has resolved to investigate the position. It is hardly likely that lie would show merely a passing interest in the matter, for the Liberal Leader is an astute politician and he may, in view of a coming general election, be searching for a means towards ending me unemployment situation. But there is a large body of opinion in England which riwhtly holds that trade on extensive lines with the Soviet is impossible until its leaders observe the decencies of international dealings. They have repudiated Ihe Czarist debts to Britain ol nearly £1,000,000,000, upon which tne 15 riusii taxpayer annually pays interest of £45,000,000 or more, and a year ago made the infamous suggestion that it Powers in Britain’s position would advance the Soviet money they could retain portion m payment of the Czarist regime debts, llie Soviet desperately needs money to finalise its industrial plan,

upon it Stalin has staked his all, and if the Powers refuse it then the Soviet must flood other countries with goods produced by labour akin to slavery, and by underselling try to achieve her ends. This has happened in recent months to the detriment pf Britain and her Dominions. The United States refuses to send an Ambassador to Moscow; to the American people of the better type and to other countries Bolshevism has so outlawed itself as to place Russia beyond the pale.