the subject nations of the Russian empire
to organize their own government. On November 20, 1917, Ukraine was
proclaimed an independent nation by the Central Rada, the provisional
Ukrainian parliament. The struggle to win recognition for this
independence is still in progress.

The expediency of Ukraine's claim to exist as a self-governing nation
does not, however, rest merely upon racial, ethnological and historical
bases. There are primary economic considerations which press for its
admittance to the circle of free nations.

The Ukrainian people inhabit a land 330,000 square miles in extent,
with a population of 45,000,000. This territory is not merely
abundantly self-supporting, but is, in fact, one of the richest areas
on the earth's surface. Four-fifths of the entire extent lie within a
belt of deep, black earth, which produces bounteous crops of wheat,
barley, rye, oats, sugar-beets, fruit, tobacco and vegetables. Under the
Ukrainian ethnographic territory lie mineral riches: coal, petroleum,
iron, manganese, salt, phosphate, kaolin, graphite and many other
substances of commercial value.

In the normal pre-war period, Ukraine used to supply about 5,000,000
tons of grain for export annually. Most of this was wheat. The last
three years, particularly 1919, have seen good harvests in Ukraine. At
the present moment, when western Europe is unable to feed herself,
Ukraine has an excess remaining from the crops of 1917, 1918 and 1919,
to an amount of not less than 10,000,000 tons of different kinds of
grain. Besides this, the country can guarantee a minimum yearly export
of 300,000 to 600,000 tons of sugar; 9,000 tons of tobacco; 17,000 tons
of sugar-beet seeds; and 10,000 tons of flax and hemp yarn. Besides
these products, Ukraine used to export annually before the war: 65,000
tons of eggs; 6,500 tons of raw hides; 12,000 tons of pork and dressed
poultry; 9,000 tons of beef; 240,000 head of beef cattle; 15,000 head
of horses; 130,000 hogs; and large quantities of wool, feathers and
hops.

In minerals, Ukraine may export in a short time as much as 100,000 tons
of manganese ore annually; 500,000 tons of iron ore; and considerable
amounts of phosphates, salt and soda. With reorganization of
transportational facilities, she can furnish from 6,000,000 to
10,000,000 tons of coal and coke, as well as benzol toluol, anthracen
phenol, naphthalin and other valuable coal tar derivatives; about
90,000 tons of coal tar; sulphu