New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-02
American Trade with Eu-
rOpean Neutrals Grow
ing Fast, She Contends.
FASTER, IN FACT,
THAN ENGLAND'S OWN
Statistics Cited Show Big u. ).
Trade in Cocoa. NOn-Ex-
istent Year Ago.
From The Tribune Bureau J

Ifrom Inc Ir1rune burthh
Washington, Oct 1.-Coincident with
the publication to-day by the State De-
partment Of note from Great Britain
denying that war measures were being
misused 10 destroy American commerce
for the benefit Of British shippers, at
torneys for Chicago packing houses
came here 20 lay before Acting Secre-
tary Polk charges that meat products
seized BY the British authorities have
been sold 70 merchants in Great Brit
ain for re-export 20 the neutral coun-
tries 10 which they were originally
consigned, at an enormous profit to the
Intermediates.
The packers are indignant at the
treatment they have received in the
British courts, and will ask the State
Department to protest TO Great Brit
ain against sending any more of their
cargoes before the prize courts. The
packers acknowledged the jurisdiction
of the prize court, in the cases OF the
four cargoes recently condemned, but
declare that the methods used by the
courts are so patiently designed to sac
rifice American commerce TO british
interests that they have nothing 10
gain and everything 10 lose by permit
ting the remaining twenty-nine cargo's
TO be Judged in the same way.
The British note is dated August TO-
but was withheld from the press at the
time of its receipt, some weeks ago. IL
is ostensibly in response TO request
from Ambassador Page for the stats
tics Of the British export trade IN cocoa
with the neutral countries OF Europe.
Sir Edward Grey makes use Of the op-
portunity, however, to discuss the
charge that Great Britain is interrupt
ing American commerce with neutral
countries in favor of home manufactur-
ers.
Figures To Be Verified.
Figures are presented by Sir Edward
Grey to prove hat the export trade OF
the United States with Scandinavia,
Holland and other. countries has IN
creased more rapidly than that Of Great
Brita o.. These have been referred to
the Department of Commerce for veri-
fication, as have those Of Consul Gen
eral Skinner. TO which the Foreign Min
lister takes exception.
The British note makes a particular
point Of the fact that American manu-
facturers have re-eXported products the
raw materials for which originated In
the United Kingdom, this to the direct
detriment o. British manufacturers.
Their trade in some cases has actually
fallen off since the war began, while
that of the United States has increased
TO many times its normal figure. An
example cited is rubber, of which Brit
ish re-exports TO Scandinavia and the
Netherlands declined from 1877 cent
ais in the first five months of 1914 10
1858 centals in 1915, while the figures
of the United States for the same
periods showed an increase from 1878
to 5040 centals.
at will therefore be SEEM says Sir
Edward Grey, "tnat this country has
actually been supplying more rubber to
the United States at the expense OF
other neutrals, while American export
ers have taken advantage Of this TO
ship increased quantities of rubber TO
Scandinavia and the Netherlands"
Cocoa Statistics Significant
The figures for cocoa, the request for
which by Ambassador Page was the
basis for the note, are stated by Sir Ed
ward Grey to speak for themselves
They indicate that the American re-
export trade in this commodity has
been built up almost entirely since the
war began and now exceeds that OF
Great Britain, which is normally large.
The salient passages of the note are
az follows:
"His maiesty's ambassador at Wash
inpton reported on July % that the
Acting Counsellor of the State De-
partment had referred in conversation
TO the unfavoiable impression created
at Washington by reports as TO the in
crease in British exports to Northern
European neutral ports since the out
break Of the war. | am therefore COM
municating to Sir {. Spring-Rice sta
tistics showing what the exports OF the
United Kingdom were IN comparison
with those of the United States during
the first five months Of this year, In
order that this impression may be re-
moved as. soon as possible; but as !
hear that statements, no doubt inspired
by German agents, are being circulated
in America to the effect that his
maiesty's government are trying 10
stop the legitimate trade of the United
States with neutral countries IN order
10 captur. the trade for the British
Empire, aL1 are therefore allowing
goods 10 t. exported from the United
Kingdom which they have not allowed
10 be imported into the same coun-
tries from the United States, / think
IL well 20 inform your excellency I'M
mediately Of ire true state OF the case,
and with this view 10 invite attention
TO the following data and figures:
"The increased re-export of cotton
from the United Kingdom to Norway,
Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands
during the nor tbs of January 70 May,
1915 as compared with the same pc
rcd in 1914. amounted TO 5O3,995
centals OF 100 pounds. The United
States exported TO the four countries
mentioned during this period in 1915
as much as 1888. 1913 centals, as COM
pared with 204,177 centals during Jan
uary TO May, 1914, an increase of
8i149,46l centals, or six times the in
crease in the export Of cotton from
the United Kingdom.
"The above figures for the United
Kingdom are taken from the official
customs returns; those for the United
States have been carefully compiled
by the War Trade Department from
the manifests of those vessels which
actually arrived with cargo from the
/ United States in = andinsvian and
Dutch ports during the FIVE months,
February TO June, 1915, as compared
with fve-twelfths Of the total recorded
| exports from the United States 70 those