The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-12-20

war had been suffering for over a
year from general and widespread de-
preston, has during the period Of
hostihties realized. another benefit;
the reduction in exports from the
belligerent countries has supplied the
opportunity for American industry to
replace European products in the
markets of South and Central Amer
lea, the Far East and even In neutral
European countries, so that the prac-
tlcal cessation of direct trade with
Germany, Austria 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
80, 1915, which has just been pub
ished says: What extraordinary re-
suits have been achieved in the brief
period 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 established through
out the country From all points Of
view therefore it appears that the Eu-
ropean war has proved rather bene-
fetal than otherwise to American
trade is utterly refuted by the actual
facts and figures. -
among the British products all
articles show decrease in the total
quantity exported with the few un-
important exceptions of malt. rice,
lard, cocoanut oil and palm oil. "
"Any increase in British exports Of
cotton and wooden goods to these
Scandinavian 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
German occupation while the output
of the German industry itself is conf
siderably curtailed by the lack Of
labor for other than war industries;
these countries have therefore In
creased their imports from the
nearest available source which is the
United Kingdom"
EXPORTS TO NEUTRALS.
Then, tables are given showing
that exports from New York to Nor
way, Sweden and Denmark during
| the first thirteen months of the war
increased $84,226, $3.50 over the same
period year before, while exports
to Germany decreased $84,918,081. In
this connection a commerce report of
the United States is quoted as saying
| that customs returns Of the Scandi-
navian countries all show a smaller
volume of imports from America
since the war began. The memoran-
dunn continues:
| "Now if the customs returns Of
Norway, Sweden and Denmark show
! that imports from the United States
have decreased since the war, while
the official returns Of the United
States Department Of Commerce
show on the other hand that they
have enormously increased, it seems
legitimate, in the absence Of any
other explanation, to assume that the
United States figures represent the
amount of goods shipped from the
United States to the Scandinavian
countries and that the customs
figures of the Scandinavian countries
represent that proportion of the
goods exported from the United
States which paid duty and were en-
tered for consumption in those coun-
tries, while the considerable difference
represents the amount of goods ex-
i ported from the United States which,
] on arrival in the Scandinavian coun-
tries, were reshipped largely to Ger
many. The fact that the increase in
shipments from New York to Nor
way, Sweden and Denmark during
the first thirteen months Of the war
exactly balances the decrease in ship
ments to Germany during the same
period is extremely significant.
1.-THE figures quoted above from the
official reports of the Department OF
Commerce conclusively prove that the
export trade Of the United States has
not suffered from the inevitable re-
strictions on neutral commerce de-
irving from the state of war, and that
there is no vestige Of foundation for
the insinuation that Great Britain has
taken advantage of war conditions
and of the measures necessitated mill
itary considerations, in order to in
crease British exports to neutral
countries at the expense Of American
trade"