THE GERMAN CANKER IN RUSSIA

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2935, 22 November 1916, Page 7

THE GERMAN CANKER IN RUSSIA

HOW THE ENEMY'S BANKS CLOGGED THE NATION

How the German Canker in Rustia!' has insidiously dogged the wheels oi our Ally's industrial activity in the de* partment of war material and in other! direotions also is interestingly demon* stratcd by M. de AVesselitsky, in his book "Russia and Democracy: The German Canker." In a letter to the' "Times," referring to his book, theauthor says:— 1 beg to bo permitted, through the/ vast publicity of your columns, to maker known the latest disclosures of Gorman plots, which convincingly prove that, far from exaggerating, I have, on the contrary, unwittingly mini-, mised the German canker in Russia. These disclosures chiefly bear on the' causes of the insufficiency of supply of arms and munitions for the Russian Ar, uy- In one of the latest sittings of' the Duma a member, Mr. Khvostov, traced a frightful picture of organised' treachery which not only was not controverted, hut was greatly confirmed and completed by the Minister of the. Interior, who spoke immediately after: him in that sitting of the Duma. c Khvostov showed how the spirit of world domination which,, since the accession of William 11, permeated all the classes of the German nation, was' specially directed to a subjugation of Russia. German colonies had existed there _ before that time, but, enjoying exorbitant privileges granted them by; j ?" ,ISB * all Government, which assured them enormous prosperity, they' never _meddled with politics.' In the last 25 years, however, many wandering teachers and other agents sent from Germany took hold of these colonies. The colonists became less eager' to possess fertile lands, and sought strategical positions, particularly near Russian fortresses. The German, colonisation of frontier provinces grew tremendously. Russian peasants, Tinable to compete with German colonists, favoured by Russian bureaucracy and helped from Germany, were emigrating to Siberia, their lands being bought by German syndicates. ■ who peopled them with Germans. In some of these provinces the Germans gained decisive influence on the Zemstvos; SEoy also often determined the issue of electrons' for the Duma. The German Banks, German financiers, assisted bv German Consuls in Russia, and) guided by the Berlin Government, invested largo capital in Russian industry,' and gotinto their bands its most importantbranches, such as .cotton and oil. By their clever and well-combined manoeuvres many Russian firms were compelled to sell their business to German: syndicates who hadi chosen Russia foj; a field of their operations, and who: became all unified under the leadership of the Berlin Deutsche Bank. In; order to mask their own work the Germans bought a number of small anI aemic Rnssian banks, put money into them and galvanised them to a new existence.; Some of these "Russian'' firms, which were in reality mere brancK offices of German banks, made with. Russian and foreign shipbuilding works'' agreements, according to which the' latter obliged themselves not to build any Russian warships unless they, got 100 per cent, net profit on them. These agreements palpably decked the growth; of the Russian Fleet. Similar manoeuvres were employed in acquiring influence in powder and gun factories with, the view of retarding the execution of the Russian Government orders. These pseudo-Russian banks arc buying every produce particularly needed by the army or the people, and storing them np in; distant provincial towns, thus raising the prices of objects of first necessity, creating corners in bread, meat, sugar, etc. This capture of Rnssian industrial and commercial concerns was very cleverly utilised by the powerful'organisation of spies, whose head was the late Colonel Miassoyedov, in placing into those firms their own agents who, bosides direct spying, were also arranging strikes and exciting troubles among workmen. Just at this moment I hear of the arrest of a manager of one of these Germany-serving Russian hanks on the charge of high treason. On Mr. Khvostov's proposal,. the Duma, before its prorogation, appointed a standing commission for tie study of German predominance and the investigation of German plots in industrial and commercial spheres. From all parts of Russia a flood of documental evidence is rushing towards that commission, clearly proving'that undertakings under German influence have consistently diminished their output and" are working much slower than in, time of peace. All this . immense material verified by the commission will form a basis for the prosecution before tho Courts of all Germans' and their Russian dependants who have been trying to weaken the fighting power of Russia. Startling revelations have been, made on the origin of simultaneous fires in several munitions factories, which have taken place just when munitions wore most needed by the Russian Army. Tho commission recoived touching complaints from workmen against their German or German-led: employers, who were not allowing them to prepare munitions every day of the week, and •were reducing the number of working' hours. Many workmen, one after another, emphatically , declared they wanted to work every day, day arid night, in order to furnish munitione needed by their brethren, the soldiers, and that it was breaking their hearts to bo kept from doing that. It is now, moreover, known that the chief traitorspy, his family, and his accomplices stood on intimate footing with people in high position at Court, in the_ Government, and the Army. Tho_ assistant of the head of the secret policewas a. : member of the spying organisation, as well as chamberlains, barons, and bureaucrats. Some of them in truth have already been hanged, but others arc still free and active.