WHY RUSSIA SHOULD AVOID WAR.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 112, 16 April 1885, Page 3

WHY RUSSIA SHOULD AVOID WAR.

[Dnnedin Star]. We are ind«l>ted to the History of British Commerce, Wy Leoni Levi, for very interesting particulars as to the effect* -on trade and finance of the war declared Uy England agninst Russia on March 28th, 1854 (the Crimean War.) Mr Levi states thai comparatively little of Buti.sh nitiuufactureH and produce is exported to Russia ;! >ut tlia imports from that country into the United Kingdom of grain, willow, need, hemp, flax, wool, and timber are of the greatest importance to Russian commerce. Connected with these imports are cir-» cumstances, which, on the declaration of war, seriously affected BritUh traders. The produce comes from distant provinces, and is brought to the shipping ports m the depth of winter, when snow gives facilities for, or, it might be said, m many instances renders transport possible. It is then ready for shipment m the open season m the Baltic and White Seas, which is from May to November. In order to get the produce forward m time the London houses are under the necessity of making large advances m cash to native dealers to suable them to proceed into the interior, perhaps thousands of miles, with the means of purchase and of fulfilling their contracts. Theae advances are made m cash iri St. Petersburg, and provided on the spot either Uy lumittuuces from Lou don or by drafts from St. Petersburg by thiv English agents there of the London house-*- Aliout seven millions ofveipital and many British vessuls were thus migaged m th« Russian trade when fiiendly relations between the two countries were broken off; and had not the natural outbreak of hostilities heeu deferred by negotiations, until as a fact the produce was able to be shipped, enormous losses must have been sustained by English houses. As might have been expected, all articles of Russian produce, on the declaration of war, w«>nt up enormously m value. Tallow, usually, at 36s to 38s, rose to G4s ; lu-nip Iron £30 to £47 ; linseed, from 44* to 54s per quarter. The large imports from other countries failed to materially relieve the market, la tegard to the public fund* (rightly considered the pulse of the nationj, it is to lie especially noticed that whilst iv April, 1853, consols stood »t 101, on March 30th, 1854, forty-eight hours after the formal declaration of war, they fell to 85£. The present quotation 97^— although a somewhat, considerable fall within a few weeks, cannot 'therefore be taken to afford any leasonable ground for alarm. It is, on the contiarv, so high as, m our mind, uimustakeably to indicate that little apprehension oi wai is felt on the London Stock Exchange. In conclusion we may quote a few figures significant as to the material effect of the Crimean war on the trade and commerce of Russia, In the year 1853, the exports of Russia (m Europe) amounted itt value to £22,000,000; m 1554 they fell to £8,776.000, and m 1855 to £4,618,---000. The imports m 1853 were m value £14,295,000; m 1854 only £8,699,000. The progress towards financial and commercial ruin was rapid. Russia suroly vvill not be m a hurry to repeat such experiences.—

[special to united prsss association.] London. April 14. It is feared that the Russians will attack Meruchak and Gulfikar. The European Press urge that Prince Bismarck should mediate m the settlement of the Russian difficulty. The Russian squadron stationed at Naples has been ordered to proceed to the Baltic. In the engagement between the Russians and Afghans on the 30th March, the loss of the latter was 930 killed aud wounded. The ironclads which have been selected to strengthen China and Australian squadrons will be ready m May.