SEND THE RUSSIANS HOME.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19199, 16 June 1924, Page 10

SEND THE RUSSIANS HOME.

IT IS BRITISH MONEY THEY WANT BUSINESS MAN’S EXPERIENCES. “At present it is useless for any British business man to try to do business with Russia. There is no security for capital, end no guarantee that businesses if established will not be confiscated on the pretext that they are harming State trading concerns.” That was the opinion expressed to a representative of (lie Daily Mail by a prominent Citv man who lias ju.st returned from Moscow. The representative of British and American fhn-e. he visited Russia at the invitation of ihe Russian Foreign Office to consider trade possibilities in Siberia. From the trout authorities he obtained certain concessions. At Moscow he was arrested. Ills papers confiscated, and the concesoiona so altered that he would not proceed further. His release and the return of his papers were due to the intervention of the British Foreign Office. Relating Ids experiences lie said; All the Soviet wants is British money with vhich to re-cstablieh their basic iridustues themselves. Titov do not, went British firms to establish trading concerns which by their success might make the populace dissatisfied with the State concerns. They have a very exaggerated idea n£ the value of the concessions thev can offer. Negotiating is a very protracted and difficult business. The shops are full of German-made goods. In Moscow there were two exchanges—one a Government-owned one and the other tho “Black” exchange, a private concern. The Soviet, decidin'.; the members of the Black Exchange were making 100 much money, suppressed it. STARVING BRITONS. A 1 Pctrograd in 1922 permission was guen to the British owners to reopen a brewery, one stipulation being for a minuiimn output per month. In six months the company had put the Soviet breweries out of the running. The Soviet authorities thereupon prohibited the purchase of beer from the British brewery Their sales and output dropped to a fraction of what they had been, whereupon the Soviet confiscated the brewery without compensation on the ground that the minimum ouput had not been reached. In Pctrograd I found a colony of neany 20) Bnt’sh subjects who are destitute and starving. They are mainly elderly people who up" to 1023 received aid from the British Government. That help was withdrawn. The Consul told me he had done his best to help them, but he was without fundfl. The rh'ht wing of the Communist Party seems to° be gradually gaining the ascendancy Home observers think it will be in power by the autumn. Possibly then, but not before, the Russian Government may be able to offer business men some security for their capital.