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RUSSO-INDIAN TRADE RELATIONS 139
hearty approval of the intention to develop Indo-Russian
trade, which, from their point of view, would be of mutual
benefit to both countries. Another letter, written by a
Hindu, said that Providence itself demanded that India
should be linked up in trade and commerce with Russia,
and that, therefore, " friendly intercourse between the two
greatest countries in the world " should be encouraged. Still
another letter from a Hindu merchant expressed surprise that
Russia had not appeared in the commercial world before.
" If we take into account," he wrote, " what the Russians
have achieved commercially in Persia, and in other parts of
Asia, one must come to the conclusion that the fact that
India has been left out is not from lack of enterprise, but
rather the result of insufficient information. After having
beaten their competitors in the Persian market and
elsewhere, they will have no difficulty in establishing themselves
in India. It will be easy for Russians to take the place
Germans have held in the past in India, by trying to comply
with the tastes and special requirements of the population,
as Russia has already had experience in trading with the
Asiatic people of her dominions."
Some Chambers of Commerce and private firms suggested
a reduction of Customs duties in India, or a preferential
tariff to be conceded to India. Since the Paris Economic
Conference, this idea has become considerably more practical
than it was before. It has been recognised that the
mostfavoured-nation clause which Russia applied to goods
originating from the British Empire does not meet the
requirements of British trade, and would have to be replaced
by a device assuring the British goods more favourable
conditions for importation into Russia. But even under the
old tariff many raw materials of different kinds are free from
Customs duty in Russia. India, as a chiefly agricultural
country producing to a great extent raw materials, cannot
complain in this respect. India produces much raw material
which is necessary to the trade and manufacture of Russia ;
it therefore stands to reason that there should be an
excellent opening for Indian exports to Russia. Besides,
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