The Washington times., 1915-05-25
Estimate For Fiscal Year End.
ing June 80 Laid Before
Cabinet by RedfieId.
DISCUSS WORLD SITUATION
Efforts to Persuade President to
Call Extra Session Have
Not Influenced Him.

A favorable trade balance Of one
billion dollars will be Americas pro-
cecds from the war in Europe before
the close of the present fiscal year. end
ing June 30.
Carefully detailed estimates to this
effect were laid before the President
and his advisers by Secretary Of Com
merce William c. Redfeld at today's
meeting of the Cabinet. 1t was the
bright spot in a more or less gloomy
session devoted to the latest develop
ments in the world war.
Mr.. Redfeld told the President that
already the trade balance for the fiscal
year Is we'll in excess of 5000 900 900; and
with the entry of Italy into the war and
the almost certain increase in the de-
mands OF that country for war supplies.
he predicted that before July l the net
balance of trade would EXCEED the un-
precedented total Of a billion dollars.
SS51,35S,319 April 80.
Indicating the part which the war
has played in building up this towering
total, Mr.. Redfeld was able to show
the President that for the ten months
between August /, the date of the out
break of the war, and April 3O the
net balance of exports over imports
amounted to $s5l.25s,3l9.
For the month of April alone the
balance was $l33, 3,Se4,c95 For the week
ending April %, it was SIS. s.932 5s6, an in-
crease of more than S,50C, 900 over the
week preceding
The cotton exports last week. despite
the clamor of the cotton exporters
ag ainst the restrictions placed on Amer
lean trade by the British government.
amounted to 124.S0S bales, bring the
net total of cotton exports since the
outbreak of the war up to TIPS, 500 bales.
But with this Clamor of the cotton
exporters, plus TIE outcries of the meat
packers. grain shippers and other deal
ers in conditional contraband foodstuffs,
the Cabinet was compelled to consider
the prospect of another protest to Great
Britain in face Of these figures tending,
on their surface, to justify the claim OF
England that the operation of her block
ade has not materially interfered with
American trade.
Position of Administrations.
The position of the Administration,
however, has been that these big in
creases in exports have been largely
limited to certain classes OF articles
notably war supplies. and do not In
dicate the heavy losses sustained by
| American dealers in the ordinary ex-
| port commodities which. In times OF
| peace this country has shipped in large
| quantities to the countries contiguous
| to Germany. but are now blocked by
| the restrictions imposed by the British
| policy.
For the rest the Cabinet meeting was
| devoted largely to the political aspects
| Of the international situation. It Is
| realized that ltaly's plunge into the
war adds another element to the dan
ger always threatening the efforts OF
! the United States to remain neutral
| Proclamat,ons OF neutrality with re-
| Spect 10 the war between Italy and
! each OF the Teutonic allies have been
| signed by the President and published.
| The State Department, through its
| amba ssadors at Berlin. Vienna, and
Constantinople, has assumed the care
| OF the diplomatic interests of Italy.
| But even with these evidences of con-
| tinued friendship of this nation for the
| United States, the fact remains that
the latest developments have only
served to increase the war cloud that
| hangs over the world
Germany Delaying Reply.
| Cppermost in the thoughts Of the
| President and his advisers of course Is
! the question as to what reply Germany
| will make TO the Presidents note on
| the sinking of the Lusitania for until
this critical diplomatic clash is disposed
Of. no further effort will be made to
obtain proper treatment from the Anglo
| French government.
With Great Britain, according to Lon
don press reports, threateninG even more
drastic steps to shut off trade between
| this country and Germany's heEhbors.
1t is felt that the German reply will go
| a long way toward indicating to this
| Government whether If fight for
! its rights.
President Wilson told callers this
morning that Ambassador Gerard's re-
ports from Berlin suggested various
| times at which the German reply may
be expected and had, therefore. left the
question practically unanswered. The
| President indicated significantly, in
answer to question, that he did not
mind the delay, as matters were always
better disposed of when carefully
| thought over.
In the meantime the efforts of Demo-
| cratic leaders of the House and Senate
to persuade the President to call an
extra session of Congress to meet the
fiscal deficits of the Treasury and pro-
vide greater military defenses for the
/ country have had no apparent effect
! upon him. He simply said today that
! this time, and that between now and
autumn there was plenty of time to take
| ii W., If necessary.
Wants Shipping Legislation.
That he means to ask of the next
! Congress legislation for the Govern
ment purchase of merchant ships was
! an inference from his speech of yester-
| day, which the President today did FE-
| reDudiate. He refused, however, to go
| beyond what he told the Pan
can conference. explaining that his pvr-
pose then was simply to impress hN
! hearers with the fact that this GoverS'
ment appreciated the practical difficnA-
ties ocCas ioued by the lack of ships.
His attention being called to the TACK
that American capital was complaining
that it could not be expected to build
| ships for foreign trade to compete with
| those of other countries in view of the
! requirements of the American naviGa-
ton laws, and particularly the new
seaman's law. the President expressed