The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-11-01

'eurtails ptrehases Of A1nericsn goods
except ouch a. are = ABSOLUTE necest
sarys namely oodstuffs and war ma
teria1s. is;z 4 s salsst u
That there Is an insistent demand
for notifications IN the Underwood
itarih, and q return to protection, Is
due to- the damage that law Is In
Ificting upon American industries,
independent Of the war. Two years
of experience with the Law, as one
may discover from study Of trade
statistics have proved disastrous,
Whye Because sales OF foreign goods
in American markets have Increased,
and. except for augmental sales Of
ifoodstuffs; and war. materials, e1-
ports Of American goods to foreign
markets have decreased. in volume.
This - especially true Of the coun-
tries not at war, and these countries
present the conditions best suited for
study, because In the warning coun-
tries too many conditions are pre-
scented have no real bearing upon
trade in the normal times Of peace.
There are three periods in which
trade conditions under the present
low tariff should be carefully con-
sidered-the first seven months Of
1913, before the Underwood law was
passed. .ssi q
The first seven months Of 1914,
after the Underwood law was passed
and before the outbreak OF the war
in Europe; and
The firts seven months Of 1915
with the Underwood tariff still operat.
ing and the European war demoraliz-
ing industry and production in
Europe and interfering with interna-
.ttonal trade conditions generally.
Before the War.
tariff law would accomplish in nor
NAL times was furnished by the work
ings of the law when 1t had been in
existence only a few months and be-
fore the European war.
In the first seven months OF 1914
there was gain in imports Of for
ieign goods over the correspond
ing months Of 1913, when the Payne
law still operated, Of $122,000,O j.
Sales of American goods In foreign
markets declined at the very time
this increase in imports Of foreign
goods was going on
Thus 1t was that in the first seven
months of 1915 we sold abroad
$4,000, 900 less Of American goods
than in the corresponding months Of
1913. These facts and figures have
been entirely ignored by the de-,
tenders Of the Underwood law.
Then came the war. In the first
seven months OF 1915 imports fell
$9.000,000 worth below the volume
imported during the corresponding
period OF 1913.
THIS change, however, did not OBJ
tain throughout the trade of the
United States will all countries. The,
countries at war sent us less goods
but those not at war sent us very
much more, and, unfortunately, at
the same time the latter countries
have bought Of American goods.
Note the changes:
The countries of Central and South
America. Canada, Mexico, Cuba,
China; japan and Africa sent to the.
United States during the, seven
months of 1915 increased volumes
of goods to the amount OF about,
s162,000,000 worth compared with
the first seven months Of 1918. Pur-
,chases Of American goods by these
countries declined to the amount Of
about 500, 100000 in 1915, COM
pared with 1913. Cuba and West
Indies are practically the only coun-
tries In the list which took increased
quantities Of American goods in the
first half Of 1915, compared with
1913. 2
d In other words, the countries Of
the world least affected by the war,
because most remote from 1t, sold
in the American markets in. this year
OF war $162,000,00O more than be-