APPENDIX 157 



thoughtful Russians congregate. It is presented in the 

 reports of the ministers, made the topic of speeches in 

 the Council of the Empire and the Duma, and is a 

 recurring subject in the daily press. The government 

 has announced that it receives almost daily from all 

 parts of Russia, from members of the legislature, from 

 noblemen, priests, peasants, civil service employees, 

 officers, merchants, physicians, lawyers, workers, etc., 

 suggestions as to how Russia should solve her financial 

 problems after the war and that all these suggestions 

 breathe lofty patriotism and faith in the strength and 

 splendid future of the country. Plainly the signifi- 

 cance of industrial development for the future of the 

 country is felt and appreciated everywhere through- 

 out Russia. 



The Extent and Importance of Her Natural Resources 



The basis, in the way of natural resources, for 

 Russia's economic development is very broad. The 

 population is officially stated to be 174,000,000, the 

 largest of any country, except China and India, with 

 a normal increase of about 3,000,000 per year. The 

 land area is four times the area of Europe and about 

 three times the area of the United States and includes 

 every variety of territory, from the highest mountain 

 ranges to the most fertile of alluvial plains. The 

 climate ranges from arctic to the semi-tropical of 

 Turkestan, Trans-Caucasia, and the Crimea. The 

 country can produce within its own area all the essen- 

 tials to modern civilization. For agriculture, it has 



