Industry, Commerce, Finance.
Fifty Years of Cooperative Movement in Russia.
By A Russian Observer.
I.
The economic life of Russia has, at this moment, a peculiar interest for the United States. Everything that characterizes this side of Russia's life should, it would seem, be carefully studied by Americans, and understood as clearly as possible. There is a promise of advantage and prosperity for both sides in the friendship which is now being rapidly brought about between the great Empire and the great Republic. But such friendship will scarcely be consummated unless Russia and the United States come really to know and understand each other. At the present moment, every indication seems to show that both countries are eagerly seeking to bring about close mutual friendship.
Of course, to know Russia means to learn something more about her than merely her economic life. In Russia's peculiar civilization there are numberless traits of extreme interest and highest fascination. But the friendship between the two countries must necessarily begin with an economic, financial, and commercial rapprochement. After this will stretch the strings of more delicate interests and, with them, other rapprochements. But first of all, Russia must show herself before the United States in the light of her potential economic possibilities.
And it must be the whole of Russia that should thus present herself, if the impression desired is to be complete. The information that is needed must characterize not a separate group, or a single class of the population, but the whole vast country with its enormous population, especially from the point of view of the economic forces that the Russian people potentially possesses. It is necessary to know Russia's millions of consumers, for, after all, it is the consumer, his interests and
