Coll 30/7 'Persian Gulf, Russia: Russian Trade Activities' [‎126r] (254/573)

/ however than July to Septeraoer, but far below the October of
1927, or the three-figure sales of earlier years.
3. A prominent merchant has just given me the news that
by the third Soviet Russian steamer to arrive at Bushire in jdoi
the past four months, the "Communist M (?) ,5000-five thousand-
bales of piece goods have been brought : a figure which, if
confirmed by the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. and Consulate General, is almost
incredible, and even menacing, in the extent of the ’dumping*
it implies in this already overstocked and dull market.
I submit that the competent authorities in the
United Kingdom and India should pay urgent and serious
attention to what this portends, and devise means to prevent
the harm becoming irreparable: were it open to the Soviet
Government to’dump' its cottons and other goods in Karachi
and Bombay, what damage would they not cause to existing
interetsl and is not such a move more than a likelihood, were
diplomatic and full trading relations to be restored? The
means to be found may imply the cutting of prices, and finan
cial loss by our merchants for a time, if this market is to
be saved from Soviet Russian domination. And I once more taice
the opportunity to emphasize the detriment caused to British
and ^ndian imports of cotton-goods,duties on which have to be
■ '> P *idB ndividual Persian imported oy the Soviet agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. at
t ^
Bushire, etc, oeing allowed to clear the goods without paying
duties and finding the money locally, because of a special
arrangement made between the Soviet and Persian governments in
Tehran.
4. I beg leave to quote in the above connection the
following extract from the ,, Times ,, :- "SOVIET DUMPING OP
TEXTILES".
"FORCED EXPORT" POLICY
(Prom our Correspondent. Riga.September 25).
"A report has been published in Moscow on the results of the
efforts made by the Soviet Government in 1927-28 to capture
the textile trade with the Eastern market from British,
Czechoslovak Polish and other competitors.
The