In Trade Russia Suits Herself

Chronicle (Levin), 11 January 1949, Page 5

In Trade Russia Suits Herself

Reuter

(N.Z.P.A.-

Cogvright)

Received Monday, 7 p.m. . LOXboX, Jan. 10. A startling chaugo lia.s coine over the Au;Jo S'uviet trade talks which liave j.i-ci «Iraggiug ua t (j i" many months in i.'.iiiimi, says the eity editor of the M a ti >* hc^t e i • iuardiau. The British Gove; iimeht reeeutly complnined to the Sijviet. Govcrninont tliat. diseussions v. ere being uiireasonably drawn out. A K'ply was received last week. Now .M r. Poi loinlev, secretary for overseas trade, ha- disdosed that the British Governnient lias thretitetied to end sup[di e,-> to Itussia if no agreemont ean be reachetl about suppiies of coarse grain atel wheat to Britain. There is a plain hint of more than eo.uiin i'ciiil niotives in ihe statement. Ac-ordiny to .M r. Bottomley, the Rus siaus siipjilicd 750, )()() tons of grain a j . anged for in the earlier agreemenl iiat pietit verv littie of the slerling so i-arncd nn pundia.-e.s of goods included i>. the ji .*• reement. Inslead they spent .e iethine iike £1U, ()(>), 000 on buying ii: ihe l nited Kingdoin, inaeltinery and e . i : i i ( > i e i • e t imt iucladed in the oue year I a. t. 1 11 ad'dition, they litul gune into other -teiling market.s and bouglit. i u'.lici . v.ool, eoi'o'i, heans and other If ihe 1 hreat to end exports refers only to Briti.-h nuule muchinery and esiiipiueut for which tlierc is still an u j „e ii t deinand in Britain as well as in hani eu i reuey niarkcts, the poliey m'ght not »(i far beyond other exporf. contiol measures, the eity editor contbiues. Hui if ihe Minister liieant to ici-iiuie fiie supplv of J'oodstuffs and rau mateiials I'roiu the steriing area. ■•ra .e':iiiternatioiuiI issnes must be in1 oh ed. I.eaviti" iliese uside, oue need only rere 1 1 that the K'ussians liave even more dollars tliau steHing and enough gola t" i.iiv £10,000,000 or £20,000,000 worth oi either eurreney witliout any strain. Soviet exjiorts to the United States have heen niaintained nnti! recertly at. a high Jevel thotigh Anierican exports to liussia vvere rest ricted liy export contiols sonte months ago. In J'act, on >■ eral occasions, Russian buying a o-nts liave offered to pay dollars for : '••rling raw lnaterials because it hapr eoei) to be temporarily more convennl to theni. Xow dollars are as good s grains. For dollars Britain *ui buy I senty of inai/.e and wheat from the oaioper erojis of Ihe Western Ilemijd.'t ie. The Russian hohliiig of slerling ea anui last niueli longer. Ilave they 1-een asked to pay in dollars wltey thev ha-, e no jKmiids Ici't f asks the eitv edit or.