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102 PROBLEMS CONFRONTING RUSSIA
For a country with the economic resources of Russia it
is evidently economically unsound to import flax, yarn,
furs, live stock, plants, leather, tallow, beeswax, fruit, fish,
and so forth. Russia has the possibility to suppress all
these imports and to turn the trade balance by saving
yearly the greater part of the huge amount of £124,050,000
which represents the value of these imports.
British opportunities in the economic resources of Russia
must show themselves also in the development of the trade
relations between the two Empires. Up to the outbreak
of the war British trade with Russia has been continually
declining to the advantage of the Germans, as is shown by
the following official returns of exports and imports of
Russia in millions of roubles :
In 1909 In 1910 In 1911 In 1912 In 1913 Increase or decrease in 1913
Exports of Russia to— Germany 387-0 390-5 490-5 453-8 452-6 — 1-2
Great Britain . 2887 3I5-0 336-6 327-5 266-9 - 6o-6
Imports of Russia from— Germany 354-8 441-0 476-8 521-1 642-8 + 121-7
Great Britain . 128-0 153-5 153-9 139-3 170-4 + 31’1
These figures reveal a very unsatisfactory state of affairs
for British commercial interests. There is no doubt that
Great Britain could easily replace the imports from Germany
into Russia by her products. The table of the principal
imports from Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the United
Kingdom into Russia in 1913 (see opposite page) will bear
that out.
Many schemes have recently been put forward from
different quarters for the promotion of British trade in Russia,
but first of all it is necessary that certain primary conditions
for carrying on trade between the two countries should be
fulfilled. The dearth of tonnage and the exigencies of
warfare do not at present give private enterprise a free
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