The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1915-09-24
Business and Finance

lose II we refuse to make reasonable
credit arrangement for the movement
of our crop, or that arrangement
should be delayed. In the interest
Of this country, no time should be lost
in the establishment of a European
credit account for the marketing of
the surplus food product of the Unit
ed States
As to the ability of our banking
organizations to absorb a loan of one
billion dollars Tin the form of credit
and not of gold or currency there is
no room for doubt. A loan in the
form of bonds bearing per cent and
maturing in from five to ten years
will reach the American investing pub
lie through the instrumentality of the
most powerful financial syndicate ever
organized. This syndicate will be
composed not of any single group of
bankers or any single financial inter
est, but will be made up of nearly, if
not quite, all of the important bank
ing institutions of the United States.
Its successful hotation will be of in
finite benefit to the American work
man, and will in no wise violate our
pledge of strict neutrality
Post Bellum Business Conditions.
Naturally there is much speculation
about business conditions in this
country after the war; despite the old
maxim against crossing the bridges
before you come to them, American
manufacturers cannot refrain from
looking ahead and seeking to deter
mine what is in store for them when
PEACE returns to the world.
Perhaps it would be we'll to point
out to these prophets that whatever
conditions may exist Immediately fol-
lowing peace, those conditions will
not be permanent, but that the situa-
ton will improve from year to year.
After sufficient time has elapsed for
the European countries to recover
themselves, they will be in as good
shape as before. OF necessity, Great
Britain and France will be in a some
what weaker position financially than
they were before the outbreak of hos
tililies, but their trade, since the com
merce has not been suspended, will
quickly recover. With Germany,
however, the case is quite otherwise.
During the conflict all trade and in
dustry is suspended and unless the
cost of the struggle can be put upon
the Allies, the States of the German
Empire will be loaded with debts to
a point never before known in the
worlds history. For this reason Ger
man trade may be reduced to a com
paratively small total for an indefinite
period, pending the slow and painful
recovery from the exhaustion OF this
greatest of all wars
What is true of Germany is also
true Of Austria Russia is in the best
condition of any of the belligerents
because even more than the United
States it is a new country with undev-
eloped resources and the possibilities
Of wealth without a precedent or par
aller in history. 1t may seem strange
that a consideration of future CONNER
Cial conditions in this country should
be so largely taken up with discus
sing the status of foreign countries,
but this is an inevitable consequence
of the fact that any one country is
merely part OF the world and is like
any organ Of the human body which
is favOrably or seriously affected by
the condition of other parts.
In the nature of things what the
United States has gained by the tenn
porary gripping of European COM
merciI rivals is much more import
ant than it would be if the gain had
been made at a time of peace What
Germany has lost in South America
cannot be recovered for generation,
and in the meanwhile the United
States has been occupying the lost
ground. Whatever this country can
acquire by commercial relations with
the Latin Republics is comparable
almost to new creation because dur
ing the war and for some years after
wards, the Southern Continent will
be quite remote from the European
field of intercourse, and in the inter
val OF commercial isolation the Unit
ed States will fill the vacancy created
by these exceptional circumstances.
When American manufacturers
have established themselves south OF
the Panama Canal they will make
gains not easily lost One feature OF
the European situation is very easily
overlooked by the commercial pro,
phets. 1t is the height of unwisdon
for Americans to cultivate bad rela-
tons with Russia since there is nc
country on earth, the friendship and
tr>dc OF which is so important to the
United States, as the dominions oil
the Gar Russia is thrce-ifths 'oI
Europe and third Of Asia and its
resources make it in its potcntialtes
the wealthieSt country in the world
Americans want Russian trade, and
it is the part of wise foresight tc
leave no stone unturned in securing