Raffalovich A. (ed.) Russia: Its Trade and Commerce

London: P. S. King & Son, LTD., 1918. — 484 p.During the visit of a Russian Mission to London in the early days of the war, a conversation took place in the ofhce of Mr. Arthur King, that sanctum of exact and up-to-date information on pohtical and economic questions, between him and the editor of the present work. It was recognized that there were in England a large number of books on Russia, some of them of the highest value, such as the classic work of Sir Mackenzie Wallace, and that, in connexion with the several international exhibitions held in England and the United States, publications describing Russia from a commercial, industrial and financial point of view had been issued in the English language by the Russian Ministry of Finance, which at that time inchided the Department of Trade and Manufactures, now a separate Ministry. As they looked over the shelves of a collection of books on contemporary Russia, they agreed that there was need for a new work giving a reliable description of Russia, its agriculture, forests and mines, and stating the resources in raw material that it offers to home trade and what it is capable of putting upon the world's markets. In the suggested new work it was considered useful to explain concisely the Russian organization of credit, monetary system and financial administration. Their attention was turned to Russia as a former customer of Great Britain, and without going back as far as the sixteenth century and Chancellor's voyage, it was easy to acknowledge all that Russia owed to England as her industrial and commercial teacher and as the purchaser of her raw materials, and to show the advantages which would accrue to the two great Empires, between whom there is no cause of conflict, by more intimate relations founded upon a deeper mutual knowledge. From this conversation between Mr. King and the Editor the idea of a book on Russia originated — an idea warmly welcomed by those competent to ensure its being carried out. The compilation was entrusted to M. Krivelsky, chief editor of the periodical publications of the Russian Ministry of finance, to whom we owe the collection of articles written by distinguished Russian specialists on the various economic uestions discussed in this volume. This book was ready at the beginning of 1917, as far as the correcting of proofs, etc. The fateful events of March, 1917, however, delayed completion. Then came the Maximalist coup-de-main with its all-destroying influence, which dehvered to the enemy a Russia degraded, enslaved, parcelled out, bloodstained by civil warfare, and from which security of hfe and property have temporarily disappeared. Nevertheless, a country like Russia cannot exist outside all that represents law and order and respect for public and private contracts. Destructive anarchy destroys itself. Whatever may be the later disposition of Russia, whether centrifugal or centripetal influences will prevail, the partition of its territories cannot be pursued to isolation, or to the restoration of Chinese walls between the different districts — there are too many economic ties for that. With this idea, and considering the mass of information contained in the following pages, the publisher and the editor believe that it will be of interest to let this volume, which the march of events has somewhat outstripped, take its place in the Hbrary of those who seek precise data on the natural wealth of European nations in the first fifteen years of the twentieth century.Brief Geographical Sketch
Agriculture
Poultry Farming — Fodder Grass
Cultivation of Cotton, Flax, Hemp, Sugar, Beet, Tobacco, Wine, Hops, Fruit
Forestry
Factories and Workshops
Mining and Metallurgy
Machine Industry
Fisheries
Internal Transport, Russian Railways, and Inland Waterways
Posts, Telegraphs, and Telephones
Internal Trade of Russia
Foreign Trade of Russia
Public Finance
Money and Credit
Joint Stock Companies
The Drink Question in Russia