Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 70, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 November 1916 — RUSSIA AND JAPAN [ARTICLE]

RUSSIA AND JAPAN

The European war has given an enormous impetus to Russo-Japan-ese trade. Big fortunes have been made, though in some lines money has been lost. On the whole, the trade does not seem to he developing in a manner quite satisfactory to either party. Most of the trouble seems to he due to uncertainty on the Russian side as to the fulfillment of contracts and on the Japanese as to the date of payment. Notwithstanding the recent large Influx of money into Jafian, it does -aiot seem to be regarded as possible to wait an indefinite time for payments. An attempt was made to get over the difficulty of floating a tbiock of 50,000,000 yen Russian treasury bonds in Japan; but the underwriters’ price was rather low, and the loan was left practically all ■on their hands. Other flotations of treasury bonds have since been talked of, but seem to have come to nothing; and an arrangement was even reported whereby English capitalists were to pay on behalf of Russia, followed by complaints in Japan that these capitalists, on the strength of holding the cash, -were presuming to cut down prices, and even to examine the goods. , Evidently this arrangement has not gone far enough to overcome the difficulties and provide Japanese manufacturers with the quick payment they require.—Yokohama correspondence of London Economist.