The Daily Worker Newspaper, April 29, 1924, Page 5

¥ Tuesday, April 29, 1924 American Dollar Diplomacy in Action «= ==~- a ARTICLE VI Our Foreign Policy The Latin American countries form the natural Linterland for America’s surplus capital and new sources of caw material. Observers of recent flevelopments in the fleld of world politics have’ pointed out that there is a spirited competition for favor and trade of South American republics by the leading imperialist powers. The tollowing are new developments in this sphere of international competi- tion. “Great Britain has dispatched & financial commission from South- hampton to South American countries to recommend loans. France has a militaty commission in Argentina, and seeks to extend her power and in- fluence, Italy and Spain have enter- ed into understanding whereby they will go after a share of South Ame- tican business, and will combat: efforts of France and possibly Great Britain. The United States has for some time maintained a naval com- mission in Brazil and Peru, and late this month will send to Peru Lieuten- ant H. B. Grow to build up an avia- tion unit. Dollar diplomacy is no longer squirm- ed at or camouflaged by the spokes- men-and diplomats of American im- perialism. Secretary of State Hughes recently lauded the Monroe Doctrine before the American Bar Association as the greatest safeguard to peace and security for the Latin American countries, But perhaps the most whole- hearted indorsement of dollar diplo- macy as a panacea was made by the millionaire engineer and former chair- man of the Federal Coal Commission John Hays Hammond before the Ame- rican Management Association on October 3, 1922. Tersely expressed, Mr. Hammond’s program might be summed up as follows: “A few men from the United States with high commercial ability and business acumen, scattered in the capitals thru- out the world, would be able, to erect economic safeguard to capital to which would send a stream of Ame- rican money into the far corners of COOLIDGE-WALL STREET GANG PLANS TO PULL OLD STUFF TO FOOL LABOR INTO SUPPORTING REPUBLICAN PARTY By LAURENCE TODD. (Federated Press Staff Correspondent.) WASHINGTON, April 28.—Threats of wholesale unemploy- ment, coupled with promises of a well-paid job for every man if Coolidge is elected, are the campaign arguments chiefly counted upon by Butler, Stearns and the other backers of the president. warning that business is displeased Industrial stocks sell lower in the “Judge Gary has sounded the with the situation in Congress. market. Republican organizers “admit” that there is hesitation in finan- cial circles, and that a depression is beginning. They are setting the stage for a minor panic, and are getting ready to revive the Mark Hanna slogan of 1896—“If .Me- Kinley is not elected, this factory will be shut down!” Mellon Is Trembling. Secretary Mellon, trembling in fear of the decision to be taken by the Senate on May 6 as to employing Francis J. Heney to investigate the treasury department, is the ad- viser back of this administration scheme. He represents the banking trust, and he knows how easily it can change the tone of industrial activity. A few orders, a few manipulations, and factories can be made to slow down, railroads to deliver fewer cars, banks to withdraw credit, merchants to cut down purchasés from the wholesale market, and creditors everywhere to begin worrying their debtors. The fact that European chaos has begun to hurt the export trade of the United States anyhow, and that the ruin of Germany is bound to have its harmful effect on American industry, is not mentioned. The implication is left in the voter’s mind that the un- covering of robbery and corruption by the Senate has destroyed Ameri- can prosperity—such as it is. . Resort to Fascism. Fascism is to be brought to the aid of direct financial control and threats. George B. Lockwood, secre- tary of the Republican National Com- mittee, who publishes the National Republican, hitherto known as the official organ of the national commit- tee and the White announces that his paper will ceforth be in- dependent of the committee and will wage war on all progressives, “The Republican party,” he says, “stands for the productive payroll of private enterprise as against the pub- lic payroll of an exaggerated and It has nothing in to the spirit of envy, class and caste hatred and revolutionary attack upon the economic system upon which rests the structure of national pros- perity and progress. ... There is no obligation in party loyalty to support candidates for offices, nominally Re- publican but actually anti-Republican, who may be foisted upon the party ticket by organized minorities or thru enemy participation in unre- stricted primaries.” Accordingly, the secretary of the national committee announces that the earth, developing unused resourc- es, vastly increasing the total inter- national productivity and raising the standard of living for civilized men.” At this conference Mr. Hammond laid down the 14 points of dollar diplo- macy. But the United States is not satis- fied with the field afforded it by com- plete hegemony over the South and Central American countries. America has been steadily turning to Far East. Addressing the Senate.on February, 1928, late President Harding said: “We have seen the eyes of the world turn to the Pacific. With Europe prostrate and penitent’ none feared the likelihood of early conflict there. But the Pacific had its menaces and they deeply concerned us. Our terri- torial interests are larger there. Its waters are not strange to us; its farther shores not unknown to our citizens.” There is no question that the French-Indo Chinese empire tho of tremendous size, is at present not a menace to American imperialists in this sphere of influence. Only Eng- land and Japan when allied are a menace to American interests here, American imperialist policy has been to separate Japan from Britain. The naval holiday offered by the United States to the debt cursed England was the price paid by America for separating Britain from Japan. The Four Power Pacific Treaty has at least formally replaced the Anglo- Japanese alliance. Of course United States does not intend to desist from its program of getting a Navy second to none as,recommended by its Gene- ral Naval Board in 1915 and 1920. The four year naval holiday only gives America a chance to study the new developments in sea warfare and en- ables our experts to devise more in- fernal machines of destruction for war on the high seas. American imperialists are bent un- der the guise of adherence to the open door policy to establish undisput- ed domination over China, one of the richest labor and raw material mines in the world. American imperialist policy is bit- terly anti Soviet Russia and the Far ee en ee East. The basis of this opposition is not at present directly military or financial, Russia is today no longer an imperialist Capitalist nation. What the United States fears from Soviet Russia is the following: The very existence of Soviet Russia as an implacable foe to all the capitalist world powers is in itself a challenge to American imperialism. Soviet Rus- sia. is an inspiration to the weaker and exploited nationalities of Asia to revolt against their Huropean and American capitalist oppressors. American European policy has not yet assumed a definite character. In the main our financiers and industri- alists have been pursuing a policy of watchful waiting to jump in at the most appropriate moment when the best bargain could be struck with a bankrupt Europe. American imperi- alism wants its pound of flesh here and is only waiting for the moment when it can get this with the least effort and at the smallest price. A broken down, bankrupt Europe would virtually be a coolie colony in the hands of American exploiters. The fate that has befallen Austria is a fate that Wall Street would have overwhelm the. rest of Hurope. Our capitalists fear the influence of Soviet Russia in European powers. They feel that the de jure recogni- tion of Russia in the fold of European political and commercial relations would interfere with this plan. There- fore the Coolidge administration is continuing the policy of attempting to isolate Russia. Thru the acceptance of the banker, generals E. Dawes, Owen D. Young and Henry H. Robinson on the Re- parations Commission, the United States has taken the first step towards the achievement of its Eur- opean program. That this has marked the first of a series of definite steps towards the dominating American financial groups becoming the receivers of bankrupt Europe is made plain by the swiftness with which subsequent developments in this direction are now taking place. Before the Dawes report was made public, J. P. Morgan & Co. whose MINISTER DENIES BRITISH LABOR IS BOLSHEVIK Arthur Henderson On Stand In Libel Case LONDON, April 28.—Arthur Hen- ‘derson, Home Secretary in the Ram- say MacDonald cabinet, on the wit- ness stand in a libel suit brought by a member of the engineers’ union Republican League, whose members— subscribing to the paper—will be pledged not to support any candidate, either before or after the primary, who will not “recognize majority rule within the party on fundamental policies,” and who will not “give his support to a national Republican ad- ministration.” This rule from the top is necessary, Lockwood holds, in order to end the “policy of comprom- ise with destructive elements,” who have borne the Republican name but are actually trying to launch a new party. This “challenge of radicalism” must be firmly met. Republicans must have party discipline. Norris Hits at Lockwood. Senator Norris, recently re-nominat- ed by the republicans of Nebraska after having been attacked for months by Lockwood’s paper, replied to this statement by saying that the National Republican had read itself out of the party by its own attitude. The idea of imposing discipline upon the members of any political party as to their conscientious be- liefs and attitudes, he said, was to- tally opposed to the spirit of republi- can institutions. It belonged only in an absolute monarchy. Lockwood was proclaiming the doctrine of the Russian czars. American parties would continue to accept the policies demanded by their members in the mass, and not the policies of dictators. If the president; when a republican, were the natural dictator of party policy, who would dictate to the party upon its going out of office—as would promptly follow the adoption of this rule? Would Lockwood’s paper sume the job? \ Senator Couzens of Michigan, who started the fight over Mellon, remains] wastINGTON, sick in a Baltimore hospital. The administration is making the most of his absence from the senate, by build- ing up an impression that Mellon alone is staving off a serious indus- trial collapse. Opposition to Coolidge or to the as-| against a Tory newspaper, painted the British labor movement a deep yel- low and absolved it of any suspicion of Bolshevism. Mr. Thomas William Gillinder, the plaintiff, was charged with having ac- cepted the program of the Indepen- dent Labor Party, which according to the imaginative Tory sheet stood for the bloody work and deeds of Lenin and Trotzky and the murderous plans of the Bolsheviks, prominent among which were the nationalization of wo- men. One would almost think it was Harry M. Daugherty speaking. Arthur Henderson, sworn testified that he was for twelve years secre- tary of the British Labor Party anc Honorary secretary. His party favor- ed friendly relations with Soviet Rus- sia but was against Bolshevism . Might Use Violence. Henderson was asked, “When do you think itis important enough to exercise your industrial powers to en- force your views by class warfare?” Henderson replied that his party favored such methods when the coun- try was in a crisis. Replying to a charge that Bromley of the Locomo- tive Engineers’ Union “held up” the country in a strike, Henderson said, the workers struck to better their po- sition and “succeeded in getting by a strike what they could not get in months of negotiations.” “Me Too,” Says Arthur. Sir Douglas Hogg, appearing for the defendants, expressed his pleasure that all the Communist candidates in the last election were defeated. “Well, I was beaten too,” replied Henderson. | Congress Knifes Farm-Co-operative Marketing Scheme April 28—The Me- Nary-Haugen bill which would create @ $200,000,000 corporation to buy and sell basic farm products in an effort to maintain pre-war price levels was singled out by the house agriculture committee today as the outstanding farm relief measure to be pressed for Mellon plan of tax-evasion on the part) passage at this session of congress. It of the profiteers is coupled, in the catalog of political crime, with the Couzens demand that Mellon's hand- ling of the treasury be investigated. Senator LaFollette is studying the field, before making answer to the im- plied threat of organized finance. Democratie politicians are anxious to be counted “safe,” and are uncertain as to their next move, How many of your shop-mates read, THE DAILY WORKER. his paper will represent # National|them to subscribe today. was reported by the unexpectedly large vote of 14 to 6, The Yoakum plan, which would have built up an independent co-oper- ative. marketing system owned and controlled by farmers, was thrown out by a vive voce vote. The Norris-Sinclair bill which would have provided a government corporation to market wheat, was re- Jected 16 to 4. The Voigt bill, similar to the Me- Get one of | Nary-Haugen bill in operation but lim- ited to wheat, was voted down 16 to 2, THE DAILY WORKER spokesman on the Reparations Com- mission were Young and Robinson, made a loan of $100,000,000 to save the tottering Franc and the political head of their lackey, Poincare. No sooner had the Dawes report mortgaging the German working class to the greedy and profit hungry | coterie of international capitalists/ been made public, than an open de- mand was made for an American re- ceivership for Europe. It is signifi- cant to note that this has been the objective of the most conscious of America’s capitalists. As far back | as October; 1919,) the special corres- pondent of the Wall Street Journal cabled from Germany to the effect} that there was but one solution of the | European crisis, and that was “a straightforward receivership for Ger- many!” The same journal of high finance had also suggested them that Brigadier General Charles E. Dawes be chosen to untangle the reparations knot. In the light of this trend of events, the proud boast of the Wall Street Journal of April 11, is enlightening: “The essence of the Dawes report, the one possible means by which its suggestions can be carried out, is a receivership.” Of course, a receiver- ship for Europe today means an Ame- rican receivership. The proposed $200,000,000 loan to Germany to help the stabilization of its currency will prove the immediate entering wedge for the receivership. About $100,000,- 000 of this loan to the International Acceptance Bank about to be organiz- ed in Berlin, will be taken up by American bankers. Obviously the policy of Wall Street here will be the same as the policy pursued in Hun- gary where a Boston bankers’ attor- ney, Mr. Smith, now reigns supreme as financial dictator. This continuous encroachment of American financial and industrial in- terests on the natural resources and industries of continental Europe will in the long run, bring about serious organized political and military op- position from the European countries and our Capitalists are preparing for such eventualities. “THIRD PARTY PERIL” MAKES REACTIONARY DEMOCRAT RUN WILD NEW YORK, April 28—Third party advocates in the eastern states are pointing out that the best proof that their movement is growing is its recognition as a danger by the old line politicians. James W. Gerard, one of the astute ‘Democratic politicians in New York is using “the third party peril” as the text for his organization’ speech- es he goes about trying to mend fences of his party. This peril is to be avoided, acecrding to Gerard, only by ousting the crooked Repub- licans and electing Smith, the Tam- many presidential candidate. Both old parties are inefficient and corrupt and enemies of demo- cracy, is the reply of John Haynes Holmes, pacifist parson, Community church, New York. Ridiciuling the Republican * national committee’s charge that the St. Paul Farmer- Labor convention and the Washing- ton investigations are inspired by Moscow, Holmes says, “Why the Republicans and other reactionaries should seek to give the Bolsheviks credit for everything that is hope- ful in American political life passes comprehension. “The third party movement, so far from being red or Russian, is the one distinctively American move- ment on the horizon today. June 17 should mark an epoch in American history. The platform of that party is a new declaration of independ- ence.” Difficult Time In Trying To Stir Up Trouble In Honduras WASHINGTON, Apr. 28,—The state and navy departments today were seeking information concerning the reported shooting of American sailors in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. No official confirmation has yet been received from American consular officials there. According to the report the sailors were killed when the forces besieging the Honduran capital dropped bombs from an airplane. + There is a force of American sailors in Tegucigalpa, sent there to guard the American legation and consulate, where contending forces in the revo- lution threaten the capital. The city is now besieged by the forces oppos- ing the provisional government. Judge Captures Hair Brush. John charged with disorderly conduct, stalked into Judge Trude’s court with a suggestive bulge in his hippocket. “Search that man” order- ed the judge, Guza, grinned, and pull- ed out a hair brush, ’ WAR CAUSED BY CAPITALISM, IS WOMEN’S VERDICT Galician Delegate For General Strike By LUDWELL DENNY ‘Staff Correspondent of the Fed. Press) NEW YORK, April 28.—‘“We cannot have peace until there is a complete change in the political and economic basis of the world.” is the opinion of Lida Heymann which grey out of her experience as a cabinet member in the Kurt Eisner Communist-Socialist regime in Bavaria following the war, Frau Heymann spoke on the economic causes of war at the New York recep- tion to the foreign delegates, Women’s Intl. League for Peace and Freedom congress, which meets in Washington, May 1-7. , One woman member of the executive committee of the Woman's league, Galician section, has been hanged in prison by the Polish authorities with- out trial, Dr. Madja Surowzowa, Gal-“ ician delegate, declared. She added that several other members of the exe- cutive committee are still in Polish prisons because of their peace activ- ities, “I favor the genetal strike against war,” Dr. Surowzowa told The Fed- erated Press. Specifying social in- equality as the chief cause of war, she said the war menace in Europe had increased during the last year. The capitalists of all countries are re- sponsible for war she said in agreeing with Bertrand Russell's statement that growing world control by U. S. capitalism is the chief menace, “Since the United States is noted as a country of prohibiton, why don’t you prohibit war propaganda by mak- ing ita punishable offense?” Frau Yella Hertzka, Austrian delegate, asked. Jane Addams, international presi- dént of the league, presided. Other speakers included delegates from Tur- key, France, Belgium, Switzerland and Holland. |AMERICAN PICKS RICH PLUMS IN HAITIAN BUREAU Imperialists’ Plan Is Scientific Exploiting (Special to ‘The Daily Worker) PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, April 28. —A technical bureau of the Haitian department of agriculture is the new- est burden the American administra- tion has saddled on this unfortunate island. The imperial capitalists are planning still further the exploitation of the island thru the new bureau headed by Dr. George F. Freeman. Extraordinary credit of $170,000 has been forced thru the council of state to allow Freeman free rein in his enterprise. Freeman has just com- pleted a survey of the country on horseback and has found ideal condi- tions for American business men: cheap labor as well as climatic and soil advantages for agricultural and dairying and stock-raising industries. The new bureau is to be built with local experts, Freeman claims. He says that he will use Haitians in com- pleting his personnel. “But,” he adds, “the organization will be molded along the lines that have succeeded in the United States.” Coolidge Appoints Bureau’s Head. Freeman was appointed by Presi- dent Coolidge and “President” Borno of Haiti confirmed the appointment as a matter of course. National City Bank, one of the big- gest financial institutions of the United States and the sugar trust, are known to be much concerned over efficient production in Haiti. M4@y other big interests in America are welcoming the creation of the new bureau, which will be supported by the Haitians. They look forward to the building of a highly complex technique of exploitation of the is- land’s resources—in their favor. The old methods used by the natives are sufficient only unto them and will be done away with in the introduction of machines and scientific cultivation. Police Torture Wins An Acquittal For St. Louis Negro (By The Federated P: ST, ‘LOUIS, April 27---Herman Young, a Negro, was acquitted by a jury of the charge of murder, when Young testified that the signed con- fession offered in evidence was signed by him only after unbearable police torture. He said the police knocked the confession out of him with barrel staves and “billies.” The charge was that Young was the driver of a car that struck and killed a young boy on the street, The trial lasted three days, but when the confession was re- pudiated the jury voted not guilty. GERMAN COMMUNIST EDITOR GETS 10 MONTHS FOR WHAT HE DIDN’T WRITE of Berlin, given ten , Germany, April 28—Otto Steinicke, editor of the Ri he official organ of the Communist Party of Germai months in the house of correction for alleged treasonable utter- yy, hi ances... The article was not written by Steinicke, and it concerned itself with the problem of all iegal organizati nae jeged illegal orga’ nec ll Sama ions. The verdict has met with violent en » ' Page Five U.S. GOVERNMENT OFFICIALLY ADMITS THAT SOVIET RUSSIA NOW HAS FAVORABLE TRADE BALANCE Editor’s Note.—The United Department. of Commerce, headed States government, officially thru its. Mr. Herbert by none other than Hoover, himself, has sent out publicity, specially written by L. J. Lewery, assistant chief of its Eastern European division, showing that Soviet Russia is back on its feet, that for the three months of last year the balance of trade turned in favor of material, however, is sent out thru ignored by the daily press. Hence no attention is given to it. doubtful if Mr, Hoover knows anything about it. the First Workers’ Republic. This an unnoticed press service, that is It is Surely the anti-Soviet Secretary of State Hughes has not read it, so he can go ahead innocently msking his usual insane statements about Ru The Lewery article is interest mind when future attacks are made against Soviet Russia. recuperation. follows: a * an trade and industrial ing and should be kept in It is as * By L. J. LEWERY, Assistant Chief, Eastern European Division, Department of Commerce. The la exports of grain, definitely turned eign trade in its own favor, t three months of the calen ear 1923, with their large the balance of Soviet Russia’s for- Altho the final results for the fiscal year ended September 30, 1923, appeared doubtful and controversial, owing to the present Russian sys at 1913 pr of the calendar year, together with a systematic restriction of imports, left a substantial favor- able balance of trade beyond question, whether valued at pre- war or at current prices. The valuation of all imports and exports in gold rubles at pre-war market prices had heen rendered necessary because the rapidly depre- ciating Soviet currency furnished no stable medium for calculation and comparison. Imports for the calendar year 1923, figured at the 1913 prices, were valued at 144,100,000 rubles, against exports of 205,800,000 rubles, giving a favor- able balance of 59,700,000 rubles. On the basis of approximate current prices instead of 1913 prices, exports total 307,300,000 rubles and imports 200,100,000 rubles, making the favor- able balance on a current-price basis equal roughly to 107,200,000 rubles. In addition to commercial imports, famine relief supplies to the value of 34,400,000 rubles were imported during the calendar year, as against similar imports of 183,800,000 rubles during the calendar year 1922. Favorable Trade Balance Follows Grain Export Resumption. The main cause of the favorable trade balance in 1923 was the re- sumption of grain exports, which had practically stopped since the outbreak of the World War and which the sat- isfactory crops of 1922 and 1923 made possible. Total export sales of grain and fodder of the 1923 crop, con- cluded prior to January 1, 1924, amounted to 1,598,766 long tons, of which 1,160,570 tons were shipped by January 1, 1924, and 152,250 tons were loading at ports on that date. Of the above grand total, $13,640 tons were rye, 382,110 tons wheat, 136,452 tons barley, and 48,643 tons oats, and the rest being represented by oil cake, corn, and other cereals. Exports of rye represented an in- crease of 20 per cent over their pre- war average, while those of wheat amounted to but nine per cent of pre- war average. Sales were distributed among fif- teen European countries, the chief purchaser being Germany, 471,266 tons; Netherlands, 285,544 tons; France, 180,743 tons; Finland, 100,178 tons; Denmark, 99,691 tons; and Italy, 93,566 tons. Export sales to the United Kingdom amounted to only 32,789 tons. Shifts in Trade Values, Composition, and Markets. Compared with the calendar year 1922, the value of exports (calculated at 1913 prices) increased more than two and one-half times, and more than tenfold in comparison with 1921, while imports fell off by one-half and by one-third, respectively. Imports also underwent a change in composi- tion. Whereas over one-third of the im- ports of 1922 consisted of foodstuffs (exclusive of contributed famine re- lief supplies), imports of foodstuffs in 1923 amounted to 7.4 per cent of total. In 1922 imports of raw materials and semi-manufactured products rep- resented only 14.6 per cent of the total, whereas in 1923 this group ac- counted for 44.2 per cent of the total. At the same time exports showed a corresponding shift for the group of foodstuffs from 5.3 per cent in 1922 to 56.8 per cent in 1923; for raw ma- terials and semi-finished goods, from 90.8 per cent to 42.4 per cent of the total. The general distribution of Russian exports in 1923 by groups of commodities is thus found to be close- ly approaching that of 1913, when foodstuffs accounted for 52.2 per cent of total exports and raw materials and semi-finished goods accounted for 86.9 per cent, these two groups com- prising the bulk of Russian exports. This similarity is extended further to the two principal markets of Rus- sian foreign trade, Germany and the United Kingdom. Im 1913 these two countries accounted for 60.1 per cent of Russian total imports, and 47.4 per cent of total exports; in 1923, their share was 60 and 44.2 per cent respectively. The total foreign trade of Russia in 1923, calculated at 1913 prices, amounted to but 12.1 per cent of total exports and imports for 1913. Government Monopoly of Trade Firmly Maintained. The government monopoly of for- eign trade was firmly maintained dur- ing the year. According to data for the operating year 1922-23 Soviet state institutions, govern- reign em of valuing all commodities imported and exported es, the heavy increase in exports during the last quarter ment organizations ands mixed com- panies controlled by the Soviet gov- ernment, accounted for 96.7 per cent of all exports and for 97.3 per cent of all imports; the rest represented the part played by purely private initi- ative in the foreign trade of Soviet Russia. Trade With United States In 1923, The tracing of imports from the United States, except as to cotton, presents many difficulties, because most of the purchases, even when con- cluded directly in the United States by official and semi-official agencies of the Soviet government in New York, were financed in England or Germany. In the total summaries imports from the United States are valued at 18,696,000 gold rubles at 1913 prices, of which 16,447,000 was accounted for by raw cotton, reptesenting a quantity of 124,000 bales. Deducting the value of cotton from the total value of im- ports from the United States would leave a balance of 2,249,000 rubles, or a little over $1,000,000 for all the rest of the imports, according to Rus- sian customs statistics, which is ad- mitted to be considerably understated. Russia’s imports from the United States im 1923, according to customs figures computed at 1913 prices, rep- resent 12.9 per cent of total imports, and the exports to the United States 0.4 per cent of total exports, while the entire trade with the United States amounted to 5.6 per cent of trade with all countries, as against 3.9 per cent in 1913. War-Time Trade With United States. In 1913 Russian imports from the United States amounted to 79,000,000 rubles, or 5.8 per cent of total Rus- sian imports; exports to the United States reached only 14,000,000 rubles, or 0.9 per cent of Russian trade with all countries. During the war, com- mencing with the second year, Rus- sian-American trade was considerably stimulated, but after the war it lapsed almost completely, until 1921, when imports from the United States were valued at 39,794,000 gold rubles. In 1922 imports from the United States amounted to 38,937,000 gold rubles and in 1923 to 18,696,000, Since the war the character of Rus- sian imports from the United States had changed radically, partly on ac- count of changed economic conditions and partly because of crop failure and famine. In 1918 the bulk of imports was raw materials and finished goods, in 1921 it was manufactured articles and in 1922 it was foodstuffs. In 1923 foodstuff imports amounted to only 176,000 gold rubles, and manu- factured articles to. 1,826,000; but raw materials and semi-finished goods rose from 122,000 gold rubles in 1922 to 16,694,000 gold rubles in 1923. It has been reported to the Com- merce Department, Eastern European Division, that shipments of machinery and technical equipment alone by one of the semi-official Soviet agencies in New York amounted to $1,694,000; of metals, $120,000; of chemicals and dyes, $103,000. Its sales of Russian merchandise imported into the Unit- ed States in 1923 consisted chiefly of furs, amounting to $550,000. Another agency imported $4,082,000 worth of Russian furs, besides $573,- 600 worth of bristles, horsehair, and other hair products, and $71,450 worth of caviar and: fish products, out of its total imports from Russia during the year of $4,827,320. This firm’s ship- ments to Russia included textiles to the value of $365,600, out of $393,650 for the year. At least one purchase of 10,000 tons of Russian mineral oi] by an American company was reported as . shipped from London. Over 500 light Ameri- can tractors, together with agricultur- al equipment in connection with same (plows, disc harrows, etc,), were ship- ped by another firm to the value of about $500,000, while about $250,000 worth of Russian furs were imported by it during the year. From Auto Trades Council. SAN FRANCISCO, April 28.—Plans are progressing for formation of an Automotive Trades Council, to include all unions in the San Francisco bay district engaged in automobile service, operation and repair, Six unions in and near San Francisco have voted to join the council, which is being or ganized under the auspices of the San Francisco local of the Auto Mechan- ics’ union. It beagin! operate on the same basis as the building trades ils and similar bodies. ne my