Russian-American Company

“ There was the American Supply Company at full strength, which looked very sleek and smug, and groomed well, and well fortified to withstand the rigors of the Arctic winter, who displayed extraordinary capacity for trading with the natives and astounding dexterity in the acquisition of an affluent wealth of Russian rubles. ”

“ As, in extending the American trade along the coast to the northward, it might be brought into the vicinity of the Russian Fur Company, and produce a hostile rivalry, it was part of the plan of Mr. Astor to conciliate the good-will of that company by the most amicable and beneficial arrangements. The Russian establishment was chiefly dependent for its supplies upon transient trading vessels from the United States. ”

“ As a nation, England is showing more interest in Russian industrial affairs than any other country except Germany. This interest comes a little late in the day for full advantage to be reaped, but the interest now shown in England is far more general and practical than has shown itself in the United States, with the exception of that manifested by a few powerful American manufacturing concerns that are able financially to perform all the functions of buyer, manufacturer, seller, and banker from their own resources and within their own company organizations. ”

“ It had underlet to the Hudson's Bay Company all its franchise on the mainland between 54° 40' and Mount St Elias; 488 and now it was proposed that an American Company, holding direct from the Russian Government, should be substituted, and it seemed to the Americans a good opportunity to organize a fur-trading company to trade between the States and the Russian possessions in America. But before the matter could mature, the American and Russian Governments interposed with a treaty, by which Alaska was ceded to the States for $7,200,000 in gold. ”

“ This action on the part of the United States Government came as a complete surprise and no little of a shock to the people of Russia, from the highest official in the Government to the most modest Russian vendor or purchaser of American wares. To the not inconsiderable group of adventurous Americans who have entered Russia in the last few years and built up great and profitable businesses in importing American goods or representing American financial institutions it brought bewilderment and consternation. ”

“ In early life he was a merchant in Siberia, but in August, 1790, he went to the island of Kodiak and opened trade there with the natives. In 1796 he established a trading-post at Bering strait. In 1799 the Russian Company was formed, by the consolidation of all the companies in the territory, and established a line of forts and trading-posts on the coast. ”

“ That the possibilities of Russo-American trade are enormous, may be seen from the fact that Russia is already calling to us in this country to take the place of her natural ante-bellum market — Germany, whose indefatigable agents have already broken the ground for us. Before the outbreak of hostilities, the Russo-German trade amounted to the immense sum of £60,000,000 annually, and this is only the beginning of future demands from Russia for foreign goods. ”

“ There is a significant angle to the smashing and burning that has gone on in Russia—an angle which the American working man should bear in mind when he is told that Russian Bolshevists are on the [312] right track for turning a moujik into a magnate over night. Russia is a great producer of raw material. Smashed machinery there means that whatever raw material escapes destruction must seek a foreign market. Naturally, if such material cannot be sold to a Russian factory, the factory abroad buys it much cheaper than if there were a home demand for it. ”

“ Russia has always been, and still is, for the United States, a land of almost unlimited economic possibilities. American capital, energy, and business methods can work miracles in this young country, rich in productive forces and natural resources. And if the commerce between the United States and Russia has not as yet reached its proper degree of development, this is due to the fact that American capital has never been sufficiently interested in Russia. ”

“ To multiply the ties, and to establish a more intimate and friendly intercourse between the citizens and subjects of the contracting parties, it is agreed, that whenever any citizen of the United States, resident in any part of Russia, shall associate and enter into partnership with any Russian merchant, he shall thereby acquire and be entitled, for so long time as the said association and partnership shall be continued, all the rights, liberties, privileges, immunities, and exemptions, in navigation, trade, and commerce, of a native subject of Russia. ”

“ At the end of two semesters of such work, it has been found that the students who apply themselves to this rather exigent method are well able not only to converse on simple topics, but also to read a newspaper in Russian and to enjoy the easier forms of Russian literature.
With a force of men trained in this way to an independent use of the Russian vernacular, the United States would be in a position, both during and after the War, to avoid all foreign agents and middlemen in mutual trade, and thus to establish an American sytem of credit with Russia. ”

“ Only this could make credible the report that the world has been divided with the Russians by our American "trustees," who never divide with anybody. In dividing with the Russians they are dividing with themselves.
Though it is reported that discriminations by the government railroads of Russia were used to force the Russian producers into this international trust, still, at worst, every Russian producer was given by his government the right to enter the pool. But no similar right for the American producer is recognized by our trust. It admits only its own members. ”

“ 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. ”

“ This was an innovation in Asia, but from the beginning this rule has been adhered to in sales of American machinery, and is now recognized as an admirable peculiarity of American methods. Such losses as have come to American firms doing business in eastern Russia have occurred through the failure or dishonesty of middlemen, or local agents. The Russian peasant or farmer is honest, and will pay if he can. The local agent, or middleman, ostensibly at least of better social business and intellectual status than the farmer, has not proved as scrupulous. ”

“ Russia needs not only American capital, but American business men themselves, with their creative genius, their breadth of vision, their organizing abilities, their power of setting into motion every available force and resource of the country. The businessmen of Russia are slow and often indolent. ”

“ This period will coincide with the particular moment when the concentrated American capital, released by the War, will begin to seek new fields of activity. If by that time Americans will have become sufficiently aroused to the opportunity, their capital would be able to perform, very profitably for itself, tremendous and useful economic work in Russia.
There are good grounds for thinking that the United States will not fail to take advantage of this happy concatenation of circumstances. ”

“ Food Workers, Building Trades, Sugar Workers, Printing Trades, Paper Makers, Employees of Soviet Stores & Co-operatives, Tobacco Workers, Textile Workers, Chemical Workers, Clothing Trades, Treasury Workers, Medical & Sanitary Workers. The structural backwardness of our trade union movement, as compared with the Russian, may be seen from the fact that the American Federation of Labor, with only half as many members as the All-Russian Council of Trade Unions has them divided into five times as many separate national unions. ”

“ There can be no better market for this kind of commodity than Russia. Russia's natural resources and her people's productive forces are truly enormous, almost incalculable. Russia's life, commerce, and industry are just beginning to develop, and they will continue to develop for many years to come. The people's purchasing power and the demand for all kinds of commodities is growing rapidly, and the tempo of this growth becomes faster and faster.
I cannot find a single field of trade or industry in which American capital would not be able to find safe and profitable application. ”

“ The first and most obvious reason for this is that Russia was quite unusually dependent upon foreign assistance. Not only did the machinery in the factories and the locomotives on the railways come from abroad, but the organizing and technical brains in industry were mainly foreign. When the Entente became hostile to Russia, the foreigners in Russian industry either left the country or assisted counter-revolution. Even those who were in fact loyal naturally became suspect, and could not well be employed in responsible posts, any more than Germans could in England during the war. ”

“ The United States have become the most powerful industrial country of the world, and Russia can become almost as powerful, if American capital will play the same creative part in its economic development, that European capital has played here. ”

“ The industrial structure of the Russian trade union movement was not brought about by the sudden realization of a beautiful scheme worked out in the seclusion of some intellectual's study chamber—as American industrial unionists hope to accomplish the job here. It is the fruit of a gradual evolution, of a constant changing of the organizations to conform to the everyday needs and experiences of the workers. In the beginning the Russian movement developed the usual craft union types and weaknesses, although, of course, they were not so marked as in western countries. ”

“ The economic blockade to be raised and trade relations between Soviet Russia and the allied and associated countries to be reestablished under conditions which will ensure that supplies from the allied and associated countries are made available on equal terms to all classes of the Russian people. ”

“ It must be remembered that Russia is an enormous country, and that her markets both for exports and imports are not to be despised. In machinery alone huge profits could be made, as well as in cloths, piece goods, fire-arms, Manchester goods, worked iron, steel, etc.
Articles of British manufacture are in much demand in Russia and Siberia, and, should the British manufacturer see his way to make articles as required by the buyer, very large profits could be made in the Russian market. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Carver, the part that American capital can play in the commercial and industrial development of Russia may be almost limitless, since American financiers and businessmen are willing to invest in any enterprise that promises good returns, and mutual benefits. America is ready to assist Russia in her program of railroad construction, not only financially, but also by sending to Russia railroad supplies, as well as experienced engineers and technicians. In agriculture, the United States can help Russia largely in those departments of the industry where machines take the place of hand labor. ”

“ Russia is past the most difficult period of transition from the capitalist state to a communist state, while other capitalist countries must still face the period of revolution. Therefore let Russia lead the way. Let the American workers realize that Russia's fight is their fight, that Soviet Russia's success is the success of the laboring people the world over! ”

“ Well, I think it's a sign of the strength of U.S.-Russia relations, the importance that President Bush attaches to helping Russia to have a strong economy. The President believes that a strong Russian economy is in America's national interest and in the interest of the world. And the United States, under President Bush, is committing to working closely and productively with Russia to strengthen their economy. ”

“ A peaceful economic conquest of Russia by the United States would work as little harm to Russia as the United States have suffered because of the fact that foreign capital is even now dominant in the economic life of America. When one studies the industrial history of the United States, one is struck by the fact that, despite their enormous productive resources, the United States have more foreign capital than any other country of the world. ”

“ Russia, too, is gradually becoming a modern State, and though internal misgovernment and disastrous wars abroad may retard, yet they cannot in the long-run check her economic development, or the growth of her power. The United States after a long period, during which all its energies were turned inwards, are now looking without, and entering into the competition of the world not only as an industrial, but also as a military and naval power. ”