Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/314

 306J FOKEIGN HISTOBY. [1899.

representatives, Government interference can only do harm, consequently the organisation of trade with England is beyond the power of the Eussian Government." We can certainly, he concluded, assign sums of money ; appoint commercial agents ; establish commercial museums in London, and so forth ; but these measures will only be palliatives, unless at the same time Bussian and British merchants enter into direct and personal relations. Bussian firms should send to England their agents to study the commercial customs of that country, and English- men should come oftener to Bussia in order to understand Bussian ways and commercial habits. In this way public opinion in England would undoubtedly undergo the change which is so necessary for Bussia, and then the great English market would be open to her products.

" But all this will only be possible if we can dissipate the want of confidence which, according to our commercial agents, exists among Englishmen as to the stability of the regula- tions in Bussia defining the position of foreign industrials and merchants.

" Moreover, the system of protectionist duties is a school of industry, the cost of which weighs upon all classes of the people. We must, therefore, consider how we may get rid of this burden. We can free ourselves from it by attracting foreign capital to Bussia. We have no available capital of our own, since where such exists here it cannot be released. By the employment of foreign capital the cost of the protectionist Tsystem is lessened, even although it may involve certain sacri- fices for us. We have to consider whether it is now better that we should import foreign products to the amount of hundreds of millions or that, with the help of foreign capital which remains in the country, we should create industries of our own."

The district where foreign capital was most wanted was the Caucasus, and accordingly the restrictions hitherto imposed upon the acquisition of land there by foreigners for industrial purposes were removed, the prohibition being retained only as regards agricultural land, which was reserved exclusively for Bussian colonists. There was consequently an enormous de- velopment of manufacturing undertakings which, in the last quarter of the year, created a so-called "money famine" at St. Petersburg and Moscow.

The sudden death of the Czarevitch, in July, produced con- siderable agitation at the Bussian Court, as the Emperor was still without male heirs. His second brother, the Grand Duke Michael, a man of strong will and anti-liberal tendencies, was the next heir to the throne.

The centennial anniversary of the birth of the Bussian poet Puschkin was celebrated in various parts of the empire at the beginning of June with religious services and festivals. The Novoe Vremya opened a subscription list for a great national