MILLIONS OF MEN.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 February 1916, Page 10

MILLIONS OF MEN.

r RUSSIA IN THE SPRINGTIME. | CUTTING OUT GERMAN TRADE. Eremantle, January 22. "As with the law of physics, when a heavy force comes in contact with lighter force the heavier must prevail, so it is with Russia and Germany. In the springtime Russia will commence to j make her,-ell" felt, when she will have j tremendous forces behind her. I canI not tell how many—it is a secret." I Such were the cheering words deliver- ! Ed 011 board the steamer Khyber by Mr. I Denissoll', who holds the exalted 'comj meroial position of president of the export chamber of Russia. He is now on a tour of the Allied nations with the purpose of reporting 011 certain matters of economy connected with Russia, During one year before the war Russia's imports amounted to nine hundred million roubles, and of this 70 per cent, came from the outside world. Germany principally, through Hamburg, as Mr. ! Denissoff himself pathetically gut it,

"With the commissions thus given to < Germany we have built lovely wharves at Hamburg, we have built Germany's lleet, we have paid for her secret agents throughout the world. We propose to do it no longer," and he banged his fist with much emphasis on the wooden railing. '•Our commercial treaty with Germany ends in 191"; and with Austria in 191 S. We propose to deal direct with Allied nations after the war, and to I f-i'in new commercial treaties with them, Already I have travelled through Japan, Java, India and Ceylon, lit the past we have imported through Germany tea, rubber, cotton, copra, cinnamon and spices from India, and through Germany wc imported from Australia wool and fat, from Java tobacco, from South America coffee. After leaving Australia I propose visiting South America, and will then go to North America, where I hope to make arrangements for the trading of machinery with my country. Previously Germany had the bulk of our machinery trade. I would like your traders, if the- hive any complaint about dealings with Russia, to make it to the Export Chamber of Russia through their own Chambers of Commerce." The conversation then turned to war. "Are wc going to win?" asked the inj terviewer. I Not a whit taken back by the bluritI ness of the question, Mr. DenissolT replied quickly: "Yes, we are going to win, and we are going to commence to win in the springtime." Then he made the observations which opened this interview. "I am glad of this news you tell me of Russia's offensive in Bu'koviim." he continued. "As a matter of ; fiU 1 , the Bukovina army is entirely a ! new one. and, quite apart from everyj thing else, its objective is Budapest iflainsi', 'ihe Hungarians, and you can de- | pend that the move would not be nuule 1 unless they were sure of success. I cannot tell you how many million, men wo have available for lighting, but the number is enormous. Previously we could not supply men as wc wanted to, but ample munitions arc coming from America and Japan, and everything will be ready by the springtime. When I talk of the two opposing forces let me add the figures Russia has a population of 170 million; five million more come into being every year, and it is computed that 3 per cent, of new men are added to Russia's population every year. This means that from about one and a-liulf to two million young men come up for service each year in Russia, and we have only called up the 1 men whose ages range from 20 to 40 years. On the other hand, Germany Ims only a pomilation of (13 million, and she Ims called up all her men from IS to 62 years. Yes, wc must win emphatically. Man-power must tell. What are those boats?" he asked, pointing to two grey, business-looking ships lying in the harbor. He was informed that they were transports taking Australians to the front. "How very interesting," he observed. "Do you know, the Australian has become greatly popular in Russia because of the wonderful fighting they did in j the Dardanelles. England is thorouglily wajiu.ar. The RumUus recognise nil I shi. lias done for us/J