English Translation

]? Half of Russian flax exports went beroits at the beginning of the British policy had to reckon with this situation. It had tried in vain to stand in the way of the growth of Russian power. She had to realize that she could not create a substitute raw material area in her colonies. With the body of the English in such cases, which is not complained of by any moral inhibitions, England is now switching towards Russia in its policy and is successfully trying to make a good deal with Russia, even to come to an alliance with it. The Russian government of the Tsaress Anna Ioannovna is willing to respond to the English attempts at rapprochement, and on 2 December 1734 the first trade agreement is concluded with Russia, which, as already mentioned in Ivan IV, grants the English extensive privileges in trade with Russia. In this agreement, the English are granted the most-favoured-nation right. In addition, there are three special concessions. First, they are allowed to sell their cloths in Russia at a much lower price than their competitors. However, this not only binds them, but also the Russian merchants, to whom the English know as little regard as any foreigner. The second advantage is the renewal of the concession to free trade with Persia by Russian territory, which the English had owned at the time of Ivan IV, but then lost again. The third precious privilege endlid consists in the concession that the English may pay the Russian customs fees in Russian money, instead of in Reichstalern, as was otherwise usual. . On paper, the Russians were assured of the appropriate treatment in England in these Hondels, but this was of no importance in economy, since Russia was almost no 1) Reading, p.21. 2) Reading, pp.297-298.