Oscar M. Kartoschinsky

“ There are many things that Americans can learn from the experience of the Germans who dominated the Russian markets before the War. The principle of low prices and large quantities must be the watchword, at least at the beginning. This will be especially important since German competition, perhaps disguised in many ways, will still have to be reckoned with. But, if the American agricultural implements are enjoying a marked preference over the German, why should not this be equally true of other American goods? ”

“ Many enterprising manufacturers are coming now to America with the object of studying the automobile industry here, while many others are attempting to interest American capitalists in investing in automobile factories in Russia, but no matter how successful are these attempts to build up the automobile industry within the country, there is no doubt that this development will not be rapid enough to supply the needs of the Russian market, and for a considerable time to come Russia will still be in need of importing a large number of the cars that she requires. ”

“ Not only in Petrograd and Moscow, but in every town where there is a theatre, Shakespeare's dramas are staged every theatrical season, and attract large audiences. It is difficult to find, in Russia, a man of even limited education, who is not familiar with Shakespeare's work. Nor is this familiarity based upon mere reading of the plays; it is strengthened by the frequent opportunities afforded to see them on the stage. There is scarcely an actor of any prominence in Russia who has not attempted Shakespearean roles. ”

“ The War has put a stop to this activity of the German business organizations which were developing and extending their field of action with almost incredible celerity. Whatever the outcome of the War, it is more than probable that the Germans will never occupy in Russia the position they have held hitherto. But the Russian markets still remain, with their needs increased by the War. They have to look to other sources of supply and will, in the near future, seek other sellers. ”

“ Never does he have recourse to springs or props in the arrangement of his dramatic action. The actions of his dramas unfold freely, naturally, from their own essence, according to the immutable laws of necessity." It is the opinion of all those who write about Shakespeare in Russia that Belinsky has seized most deeply upon the beauty and the grandeur of Shakespeare, despite the fact that he had only a piecemeal acquaintance with the work of the great dramatist.
Among Shakespeare's works the most popular and the best loved in Russia are Hamlet, Othello, Romeo and Juliet. ”

“ At the present moment most of the cars used in Russia come from America, and the question of retaining this trade after the War will depend entirely upon the action the American automobile manufacturers will care to pursue. Even before the War, those in Russia who were interested in the automobile industry knew about many American firms, the Peerless Motor Company, the Studebaker Corporation, and others.
Russian automobile experts have always been interested in the American industry. ”

“ At the beginning of this article, I pointed out the fact that Russia is behind Germany in her knowledge of Shakespeare. While this is true, we should not omit to mention that Russia, too, is introducing the cult of Shakespeare. Learned societies and circles founded for the purposes of a many-sided and accurate study of the dramatist, are gradually increasing in number, and enlarging the scope of their work. ”

“ When the sudden upheaval that struck Europe in the summer of 1914 made Russia realize her dependence on Germany for imports, she began to supply the immediate needs by turning to the only available source near home, the small Scandinavian countries. Their ability, however, to supply the markets of Russia is obviously insufficient. ”

“ Is it not significant that, in the Shakespearean problem, Tolstoy stand alone,—Tolstoy the great, the incomparable, to whose opinions Russia listened so eagerly, no matter what was the subject, whose writings of the last years of his life constantly added new recruits to the army of his followers? Tolstoy's attitude towards Shakespeare amazed Russia. At that time I met at Petrograd the noted Shakespearean scholar, Sokolovsky, already mentioned, and he said to me: "Tolstoy is a human being, and everything human is of concern to him. Every man has his idiosyncrasies ”

“ The development of Russia's own resources cannot, naturally, proceed rapidly enough to supply the immediate wants of the Russian markets. Russia will still, for many years to come, remain essentially a buying nation. ”

“ The question of streets and roads is a very important one in all Russian cities. This becomes especially apparent when you take into consideration the fact that many Russian cities are still without electric trolleys. In the capital of Russia, Petrograd, the first electric trolley line was introduced only eight years ago. ”

“ The moment the German manufacturers, merchants and exporters realized the value of the Russian markets, they began to apply all their energies towards obtaining control over them. Whole armies of German salesmen, and often the manufacturers themselves, travelled through the country, trying to induce the Russian businessmen to deal in goods of German make, in preference to all others. ”

“ And if, despite all this, the cult of Shakespeare has penetrated into the consciousness of the educated class, it is because the Russians keenly feel and sincerely love everything truly beautiful, these traits being innate in them. ”

“ Life was not running at a very rapid pace in the great cities of Russia if the largest city of the country was satisfied, only eight years ago, with horse cars and cabs. However, things are changing very rapidly, and the slow "Izvoshchik" no longer satisfies the urban population in Russia. ”

“ The automobile industry was probably the best example of this. Only because of the War did Russia finally come to the realization of how poorly this industry had been developed. But then, the whole industrial life of the country is developed but to a slight degree, and, moreover, there are other factors which complicate the rapid growth of the automobile industry in a country with a very poor system of roads. ”

“ Such considerations were responsible for the large number of German factories that sprang up in the Western provinces of Russia bordering on Germany, and now occupied by the German troops. Chemical works, machine shops, textiles factories grew up like mushrooms, created by the energy and the initiative of the German businessmen, who were ever securing a stronger hold on the Russian markets. ”

“ A large export trade with such a country would be a profitable and mutually beneficial business activity for an enterprising commercial and manufacturing nation, with broader business and politico-economic policies than are found in some of the European countries. ”

“ A profound analyser, he was able to find the clue to the solution of the highest psychological problems of man's moral nature, in what appears the most insignificant circumstances of his life and will. ”

“ A man of such a nature cannot go further than the first start, so much so, that the role of a hangman was not in Hamlet's nature." It is difficult to find in critical literature a more earnest and passionate plea for Hamlet. ”

“ First, because people, having freed their minds from this falsehood, will have to understand that drama not based on the religious principle, is not only matter which is neither important nor good, but it is decidedly a most trivial and contemptible thing. ”

“ The establishment of a Russian-American Bank, or a series of banks, so favorably regarded by the Russian business organizations, the Russian government, and the American exporters, would, perhaps, be the best means of establishing a basis for real commercial relations on a really large scale. ”

“ Even small firms, which often had to seek loans themselves, were very anxious to sell on credit. The notes, signed by Russian merchants and bearing interest at the rate of five percent or more, were readily discounted by German banks of exchange, which charged only two or three per cent. It should be noted here, however, that going into bankruptcy is quite common among Russian businessmen. ”

“ The American sellers must know their buyers, at least as well as the Germans knew them. They have to organize methods for obtaining the necessary information concerning the reliability and standing of the different Russian business houses. ”