The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1915-06-28
BUSINESS OUT
LOOK COMPLEX
Henry ClewS Admits Inability To
Grasp The Correct Significance
OF The War
RATHER A DEPRESSING VIEW

NEW lORk June ~ This cuuu-
Try never Witnessed business con.
Quoted under so many complex condi.
lions as at present Not ever during
our civil war wa, the situation 50 con.
Iuslng Tor then the conflict was with.
III our own borders and the cunse-
qlrnces were much more easily meas
urrd than In the case VI the highly
complicated European struggle now
CONFUSING the rutire civilized world
80 numerous and su violent are the
forces ut work that no reliable hdg
mtht can be- formed as to their uu
mate effects; and the wisest men are
thuN" who try to walk day by day
rather than taking long strides into
the future Opinions us 10 what win
huplcn are Of questionable value.
where the forces at work are So vast.
50 unexpected, ,o volcanic aud So nj.
lrrly ungoveruubIr. This CHASTITY wal
Is moving SLOWLY very slowly. towards
finish That still seems quite remote
Ihc fall Of Lcmnrrg may prove srrl
ouS reverse 10 the allies; 1t may not.
II orrtninly affords nnothrr llnustra
llon Of Germany marvellous military
efficiency; but even such efficiency
may finally have 10 give way to time
exhaustion mud superior resources
Foreign Trade Unnatural
The decentralization of our foreign
trade brought ON by the war contin
ucs undated Imports have been
coming In somewhat more freely. re-.
Nulting fortunately In much needed
Improvement ~ our customs avenue
Our exports also continue very heavy.
owing chiefly to foOdstuffs, also Of
war material which are going out
wards ON steadily increasing move.
ment. II now appears that war con
tracts are being accepted ON n much
vaster scale than ever supposed. In
stead OF the earlier statements uf or
dcrs being exaggerated. II Is now real
Ted that the volume of these con
tracts has frequently been under esti.
mated, because ~ the secrecy con
crrning them Some careful estimates
figure that muution contracts valued
at over S5O0,0OOOOO have alrendy been
plAced In the United States. Immense
orders have also been placed for other
war supplies which it is calculated
would bring the total up to about
$3.50 10000 the bulk NJ which will be
spent with the steel trade. But this
Is only about half the credits which
according 10 good authorities, have
been under negotiation, including
S5mOO,O0O for Great Britain. $500
900 900 for Russia. 100000. 900 for
France und SlOOWOOO for Italy A
number Of our largest industrial
plants have taken contracts Of between
Sj0OOO,OOO and $lOO,OOOOOO each
These figures are simply astonishing
aud beyond all precedent They will
be considered rs the satisfactory side
of the account; II such u word as sat
.lsfactury can be- applied to organized
murder and destruction. The United
States Is the only country In the world
that Is prUntng 10y this war, and such
profits will be- confined to the few and
must inevitably be- offset by the ii
culculahlr lus-es inflicted upon the
many Figure as we may. the world
viii be- much the poorer for this
catastrophe for years 10 come
Reconstruction VIII BE Vigorous
When prur arrives reconstruction
will follow iu vigorous fashion. Eu
rope will be- su absorbed In rebuilding
aud so crippled In productive capacity
nS 10 have little to sell In the form "
merchandise tu this country The dis.
ruptlun NJ established business COndi
tions, the raising NJ new tariff walls,
the making NJ new treaties the over
coming of bitter prejudices aud the
necessity NJ making endless new nd
instmcuts will an tend 10 keep our for
cign trade iu n state " chaos long
after upurp Is established our im
ports will naturally he more affected
In volume than exports, because Of
Eurupcs inability to sell our exports
VI agricultural products may not be
seriously Impaired; IN fact We may
have to feed Europe while her whole
energy Is given over 10 rebuilding
hut there will be- much less reason for
our manufactures a year or two hence
than there /, now True new oppor
uuitic- will hc offered. hut when
fighting m done with. Germany will
make uu intense effort 10 recover her
lost markets Low prices, hard work
and nduptuhllty will slowly hut sure
ly overcome present prejudlces Great
Britain win hc obliged to make an
equally strenuous effort II she expects
to hold any newly gained markets. Of
our ability lu compete with these en-
ergctic rivals. who will undoubtedly
operate on q cheaper aud better ~
Rhli,hcd M,ls thW ourselves, there
Is As vet mo- positive assurance. The
whole future IT the commercial world
ls highly unsettled and all operations
connected Herewith will have to take
into consideration the numerous hag
ards. as we'll nS the unquestlonable op-
portuutirs which win arise from the
settlement VI old troubles and fresh
development NJ the worlds resources