Yankees In Russia

The Bussiana are particularly charmed vviUi the democratie manuers of AineiicariF. These ippeal to 'a chaiaotenstic, natural trait of the Russian' themselves. Thev despise froin the bottom of Uicir hearts all pretensión, atrogance, and wUking on stilt. Thai is wliy t.'ie Russians stietcli friendlj bands to the people across the oceaii, in spite of the abyss that lies betweeu their governmënt and thaC of the Union. My personal expeiienee is that Americancitizens in genera!, and American business uueu in particular, are warmly welcomtd in Russia. On the part üf the Czar's government there" is uot the least f'ear that they wiíl inocúlate the Rusaians with republicanism. Once I asked a Colonel of gendaimes whether lie had any apprebension of dangerous resulta íroin ihe cose íelatiun" of the Uussiansmid the Americana. 'Noi tlie least," he answered, promptly. 'Your citizens are too sensible and practical to lie dangerous to our goverijinent. ïo inwinne a practical Yankee indulgí lig in theorizing witli the Krissiiviis would he to suppose í lie most improbable oL all improbable LJiilitiS." The Russian capitalists and busiíess uien in general are apparentlj ;lad to have Amerieans ecmtj herè i'liey prefer to invite American enfineerg to Ilussia instead of sending lieir engineers to stu.iy in America. t appears that the v.ork done here bj Yankee engineers lias conlirmed that ligh opinión which the llussians had ormedofthem beforehanü. Tbesfain levatois built by tbem in soine Kusian porls, the boring: lor petroleum in he Caucasus, and souie of their nni,ng experimenta iully satiblied the Dost extravagant expectations of the iussians. American agricultural mahmes and impliments, sewing nahines, iron stovts, rubber guotls, caned rfuits, and many othtr articlts re na i'air demand everywhtra in th s ounlry, and 1 have irequently heard itre tlie qutstion "Why uun't the Amrrioais coiue htre to make all thtstnws tïr us? Tliey wouid save the x pen se of ir,uisp rtatiun, and wou!d ie siire, to sell tliejr goots " In j r iol f lins hisi ii ss r.i on Ht.ssiais point to the great and (r sptruus factory in St. Pettrsburgopt rdied by tlie Bussian-Aui.ricrti- Hubbi-r Company. Tliis sugestión of ;in investment of American capital in Russian luanufao ture and traüe seeuietl to me a vei v interesliug one, and ! wanted to gei upinious aüout it. A Kussiau iïiend intruduced me to the dirtctor oí tlie depmtment of manufacture and trad e. I asktd liis exctlleiicy wluther Le would advixe Americau iriunuiacturers to come to Kussia to engiige iu business. "Most heartily," lie answered, "Uiough 1 dun t beüeve that ;it present your manu facture is can be imiuced to leave your country oí plenty lor one that is iiölicted with grave trouble. By and by when the security of business iiere is insuréd beyond any doubt, tliere will beopened an immense iield lor Yankee enteróme, skill and capita and tbey canuut be beateu here b any foreign oompeiitors tor the.c reasons: They are our iriends. and that noother natiou can boast of. 'J'lie general chaiacter of America is very analogous to umi of our country. Our Caucasus yields us petroleum, and the Don valiey gives us coal and authracite ltke PeHiHsylyafla ; o.r middle provinces jield graiu as abundantly as the western stales of the Union, and t!ie treasures of our Ural mountains can be iairly coinpared with Xliose oí California and Colirado. This isa very important poiu.t, lor the txperience of Americans, acquired at gieat expense, can be i'ully and pioiitably employed liere in Kussia. We have gieat natural wealth, with no capital and no skill; these the Americana have iusupeiabuiidaiice. ïlieiecan be no political trouMe between tiie twocountries to iaternipt our business relations. The Yaukees are very skülf ui teachers, as ia shown by their peiiVcl absorption and assimilation of an inin?ense and helerogeneous immigration; our history shows that we are diligent and docile pupils. Bring the Yankee teacher and the Russiau pupil together, and you will see surprising resultsl" Piince O, is one of the largest land owners in Kussia. He employs a íiumber of Gemían agriculturists to look aiter his property- oversixty thousand aerea on the Volga. L calied on him and asked whether he would like to re place his Germans wit li Aijericana. "Oiily Kt me have snme practica) Ameiicitn farmers," sniil the punce, "and 1 will Lul emplu) ai ; body eist. But the trouble is that jour farmers seeiu to he p.Tíi'ctly satiüüt'il at home, and. do not care to nuike roablès auil impelíais so long as they are pocketing dollars. I think it would pay American manufacturera of ngiicultuial machines and implemeute to seud over here.say one hundred skilied farmers. They would readily lind employaient with ourlargé land-o wners, arïd would be ableto demónstrate the iu'.l vnlue of the American farm machines. Uudoubteolly this would increa.se the deunind for the machines faf moie surely and rapidly tlian advertitetnents, exhibitions, or agenta. Russia is preeminently a fanning couiitiy, and 1íji prosperlty deneiida wholly ounercrops. Yet we do our furming on a prehistorie plan. Nüw the criáis lias come, and it puts agrave queation before u. Eilher we must immediately npply all tlie modern improvements iu agriculture to our land, or we must be prepared to be cut oft' from the civilizeü world. What a chance there is for the euterprising Yankee to couie to us, to stir U3 up, to show us huw to handle these wonderful machines, and so to créate an immense mark et for their uivu wares! Onr mlst'urtune is ihat uur educated men became functionaiies, parts and pareéis of the complit:ttcd and rickety machiiiery called bureaucracy, or else beeoine lts bitter enemie.i, and so the country at large is leit without intt-lligeiit business uien ; henee we have to porrow tliem abroad. l need not teil ■ ou Uiat the Yankees are especially welcome liere." Uncle Sam'a boys lendlng their shoulders to push Jyan Ivanovikh's wagon along - what a f'unny and unique scène it would be! But, it it comes lo that, I have a shrewd suspicion that the autocrat of all the Russias wilf not Btay long on fop of the wagon. That is.a pointon which Idisatrree with mv