RUSSIA’S VAST RESOURCES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1450, 23 September 1915, Page 2

RUSSIA’S VAST RESOURCES.

In an article in the Novoe Vremya, under the title, "We Must Conquer," the well-known Russian publicist, M. Menshikoff, writes: "In the course of our industrial mobilisation we have made a series of important discoveries as to the capacity of our industries. For instance, we have discovered that many of our spirit distilleries can manufacture benzol and toluol,

materials so important for our army, without any drastic alteration in their existing plant. Thus our vodka distilleries, which were faced with the prospect of ruin on account of the abolition of drink, have now found a useful work to do. Large soap factories are in a position to manufacture lubricating materials tor our artillery. The practical laboratories of our high technical schools can make many medicaments. The same may be said of smaller works and factories. In the Kieff province alone, the local mobilisation committee discovered about a thousand works and shops which can cast and turn out shells. We have been so long under the German spell that we have come to think that there are no industrial facilities in Russia ; but it was sufficient for ns to look into our own house to find that it is full of riches. Mr Mamontoff, mentions that whilst, the needs of the country are so great, many of our larger works are working very slowly and discharging many of their hands. The reason for this,’ he says, ‘may be guessed when one knows that such large engined ing works as Kolomensky, Sotnowsky and Wicsnnsky are in German hands. The majority ot the shares ol the two latter works are in the hands of a German subject, Herr Lessing, who is a director of the Berlin Deutsche Bank, and lives in Berlin. The same Lessing, through his nominee, controls a large number of the shares of the Kolomensky works, and quite recently ac quired, again through nominees, a large engineering works in Shtnroff, valued at 5,000,000 roubles. It is evident that the Get mans have carried out a large and far-seeing plan ot capturing a number of our engineering works to prevent them helping the army. These works must now be taken over and controlled by the armament committees. The Moscow manufacturers have shown their practical patriotism by subscribing immediately 10,000,000 roubles for the erection ot a new armament works, and have decided to devote the whole of the profits to the needs of the army.’ ”