The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-10-23
Rapidly Increasing Exports

caused to business in the United States, large minded financiers and manufacturers felt and pointed out that the confused situation would be only of short duration. Marked im- provement in the business world began to be in evidence last month, and with in the last 10 days the tide of exports has been rising rapidly.
 The same men who were engaged in calamity bowling when the democrats succeeded the republicans in control at Washington, have been talking pessimistically ever since the war be- gan, but fortunately for all business interests and for the reputation of | this productive and resourceful coun- try the real leaders, the real upbuild- CTS, have manifested only spirit of optimism and have ignored entirely the pessimists. They have acted as if they had confidence in the ability of the captains of industry and com merce to keep themselves we'll in hand, to solve all new problems that might arise and to adjust their business to changed conditions. The situation so far as general trade goes, is not only haipo bopd1aJ co+; ef o ot o,.;Ix, h,,+ o,x.~.x day brings improvement of far-reach- ing importance.
 This country's exports are now in such great volume as to affect almost every interest. Europe is buying heav- fly from the United States. Within the last few days millions of credits have been transferred to New York to pay for the immense purchases being made by England and the other nations at war. And the export trade that start ed up anew three or four weeks ago will increase at steady rate. France, Germany and Russia, as well as Eng land, are planning to buy from Amer ica on vast scale. In referring to our sudden and brisk export trade the New York Sun says:
 Except cotton, which so far re-
 mains in a class by itself, all forms of rural industry are benefited.
 Septembers shipments of wheat.
 flour, corn and kindred products were two and half times as great
 as in 1913. From day to day the
 demand for export grain is a fea-
 ture on the New York produce ex-
 change. Meat products of all sorts are in huge demand. Foreign of- ficers are buying many thousands of horses.
 But the market for manufactured wares appears to be no less There
 are very large orders being placed for all sorts of material of war, a term which includes such diverse articles as barbed wire and auto mobiles. In addition clothing and underclothing for the troops in the field and for civilians at the rear are eagerly sought The shrinkage in home manufactures compels the belligerent peoples to come here for their supplies. Just now the call is extensive for footwear and underwear of plain, durable quail | ty, so per cent wool. It Is said that existing stocks in this country | could be sold out completely if the l holders did not refuse to risk scarcity in the domestic trade. l A banker quoted in the Sun esti- mates that the country's exports will be doubled in the current year,
 reaching total of $5,O00 000,0 The figure may be considerably too hopeful, but the fact which it rep l resents is becoming too plain to | question, namely, an enormous and profitable increase in the immedi-
 ate future in foreign trade. What
 is more, it is to all intents and
 purposes cash busniess through the transfer of foreign credits. and
 practically every dollar not only tends to diminish unemployment
 and enhance gains here but sim
 ultaneously helps to reduce the in- cubus of transatlantic liabilities.
 The old time, overworked word 'boom" is again in vogue in many business centers. And with nearly all branches of commerce entering upon a new era of prosperity as a result of the eager European demand for Amer | ican food, horses and mules, and man. ufactured commodities. cotton may