New Britain herald., 1915-12-20

August SOth and the substance or l which was widely reproduced in the press.
 "In the course of this report, MT. Skinner states as follows:
 "It continues to be the case that ! may classes of goods, the exportation of which from the United States to neutral countries is attended with 1 great difficulties and hazards, are go ing forward freely from Great Brit | ain to the same countries, and in some ] cases in 1argely increased quantities.
 Explanation Desirable
 "The idea that British trade is talk ing advantage of the conditions aris- ing out of the military situation in or der to establish itself in neutral mar kets at the expense of American trade 1 is one that has already been submit ted by the United States, consul-gener- al in London in previous report, and Sir Edward Grey, in a note to MT. Page dated August 18th last, en- deavored to show that the idea was founded upon a mis-apprehension of the facts. The sentence quoted above however and the publicity given it in the American press and to the figures adduced to support it, render fur ther explanation desirable.
 "While British export trade has un- dergone a uniform decrease in prac- tically all articles, the published fig ures of the United States department of commerce show that the export trade of the United States, in spite of lack of shipping, the complete dislo- cation of normal conditions of com merce and the measures taken by the allied powers to restrict the trade of
 
 the export of actual munitions of war, has increased to phenomenal extent and this not only in supplying the re- quirements of certain of the belliger- ent nations but in general trade with the very countries from whose mar kets it has been claimed that Great Britain was endeavoring to exclude American products. On the other hand British trade has probably suf- fered more from the embargoes on exports imposed owing to the neces- sites of war by the British govern ment than has United States t-lde from the measures in restriction of neutral trade with the enemies Of Great Britain.
 American Industry Benefited.
 Apart from this unprecedented volume of exports, American industry which before the outbreak of the war had been suffering for over a year from general and widespread depres- sion, has during the period of host1l1- ties realized another benefit; the re- duction in exports from the bell1ger- ent countries has supplied the oppor- tunity for American industry to re- place European products in tho l. Nri ca, the far east and even in neutral European countries, so that the prac- tical cessation of direct trade with Germany, Hungary, Belgium and Turkey is more than compensated by the opening up of new markets.
 "The secretary of the treasury in his report for the year ending June 30, 1915, which has just been published says: What extraordinary results have been achieved in the brief per- iod since December 1914 During the year there has been a steady, healthy, forward movement in every line of activity, until now prosperity has been firmly tablished throughout the country From all points of view therefore it appears that the Euro pean war has proved rather benefi- cial than otherwise to American trade and industry, while any suggestion that Great Britain is attempting to use the military situation for the purpose of hampering American trade 1 is utterly refuted by the actual facts i and figures. x xxx
 Decrease in Exports. | Among the British products all l articles show a decrease in the total 1 quantity exported with the few unim- portant exceptions of malt, rice. lard, cocoanut oil and palm oil. xx
 "Any increase in British exports of cotton and wooden goods to, these ! (Scandinay,an) countries and to the allies of Great Britain is largely due to the fact that the French and Bel
 gian textile industry districts are in 1 German occupation while the output
 of the German industry itself is con
 siderably curtailed by the lack of la
 Dor for other than war industries;
 these countries have therefore in-
 creased their imports from the near
 est available source which is the
 United Kingdom"
 Then, tables are given showing that
 exports from New York to Norway,
 Sweden and Denmark during the first
 thirteen months of the war increased
 $84, ,226,966 over the same period a
 year before while exports to Germany + decreased $s4,918,0S1. In this connec-
 tion a commerce report of the United l States is quoted as saying that cus-
 toms returns of the Scand1naV1an < countries all show a smaller volume
 of imports from America since the
 war began. The memorandum con.
 tinues:
 Il Sufficient Evidence.