The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-28
URGE COMBINES TO
WIN FOREIGN TRADE
American Business Men Con-
tend Sherman Law Must
Be Amended.
ADVANTAGE WITH RIVALS
Efforts Fruitless Unless Seller
and Shipper Are First
Protected.

Steps will be taken shortly by bankers.
manufacturers, exporters and shippers to
convince the Administration that an
amendment should be added 70 the Sher-
man antitrust law which will strike out
that clause which forbids persons from
combining to monopolizo foreisn trade.
Business interests feel that In spite Of
the fact that The time Is ripe for us to
build up our trade In South America and
other foreign countries dll efforts OF
American capital to secure trade foot
hold in foreign nations will he fruitless
unless protection Is st afforded TO the
seller and the shipper.
The principle OF the Sherman law as
Viewed by business men Is that first OF all
II specifies that the buyer must be pA-
tected. even at the expense OF the manu-
facturer and the seller. Such is not the
case In other countries. European ma
lions. ana Germany in particular have
always given the greatest ass stance to
their business men 81 their efforts tO fos-
ter foreign trade and have even helped
them TO build up combinations against
which Individual American business men.
barred by the Sherman law from combln-
Ing, found themselves severely at "A dis
advantage. AS a result the manufac-
turers and exporters OF Europe have built
~ great trade combinations which have
made tremendous progress IN securing
AONNhOAbS III uIlu OlltI
countries.
The result was wildly shown some
time ago by John y. Ryan, who stated
that as result OF such trade combina-
ions Europe was enabled to get It's sup
ply or American copper at something like
$4,000 600 below the price at Which
she should have obtained It. Mr. Ryan
pointed out that II was the custom of
European copper buyers to pool their in
terests and when Americans attempted
to sell copper In European markets they
found one agent ready to do all the buy
ing. American copper producers were
prohibited by the sherman law from COM
Dinlng. so this one purchaser in Sirope
was able to pit the producers against
each other, with a result that they were
forced TO reduce their prices greatly
American business men feel that II the
country Is to succeed In establishing for
eign trade with South America and other
countries Washington will have 10 with
draw Its mandates against combinations
engaged in foreign trade and thus enable
our manufacturers and exporters 10 work
on par with those OF other nations.
II Ia felt that there 10 still a need
FOR dollar diplomacy" IL this country is
to succeed In its efforts TO become SUI
preme in foreign trade or even to MAIN
tain an existence there
one man who is closely in touch with
the situation said yesterday: III We are
TO compete with other nations for South
American and other foreign trade we
cannot afford to be altru!stic. Protection
and benefits must first be extended to the
seller and the exporter. and combinations
as far as they relate TO our foreign trade
must be fostered."
The necessity OF such steps being taken
was called to the attention OF Congress
not long ago at "A meeting OF the National
Forelsn Trade Convention