Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-04-28
WAR N BUSINESS.

The balance of trade which reports
so frequently show 10 b. heavily IN our
favor i not a. real a. we should like 10
see il, and the actual figures indicate
great room for Improvement. The pal
pablc difference in favor of the United
States arises largely from the fact that
imports have 50 heavily decreased.
Moreover, the bulk If the gain has been
IN several lines made necessary by the
war, consisting of abnormal shipments
that will not continue when hositlitics
shall have ceased.
1t is shown, for instance. that there
has been a gain of $40. 100000 in
brcadstuffs during the eight months
Of the fiscal year February p. bat
against This tremendous gam there Is a
loss In cohon of $40 100000. Another
abnormal gain. due entirely la war. IS
an increase OF ~iO.>On.uuO Ia horses and
mules, but there was u loss Of ~ln.nun.
600 IN ron and steel. There was y gain
of SlS3uu.oOo in sugar, but a loss Of
SIS, 100000 ia copper and copper manu-
features. There was a gain Of - 1oat,
600 IN explosives, bat \ loss ~ Sl4 500
600 IN mineral oil. There WAS i gam MI
Sl6, 100000 iu leather. but 4 loss MI
S36,300,0O0 i'm wood and manufactures
thereof.
The comparison IL marked IN other
a.aNn..tE Ll.ttNtt.r A- -. Nll lull trYt,t te.
automobiles. hut y loss W.T. sl6.2uuuNl
IN agricultural implements: "A gain Of
$9,500.000 in harness and a loss of SO.
3oo.unn ~ tobacco: = gam 81 S2iOho.
oO0 in firearms and y loss MI S%24.3luOun
III machinery. The list could hr con
tinucd for considerable length.
The total shows that for the first
eight months ol the fiscal year our cX-
ports have actually decreased hN SOL
100000.
The bulk ~ the gains are III product,
and manufactures that are certain to
shrink greatly the moment hoStilitirS
are terminated. Whether normal ex-
porations ot merchandise. machinery
and agricultural products that have
diminished during the war viii gain
corrcSpondingly remains to be- seen. IT
must naturally depend upon the wars
effect upon the purchasing power of
the several nations NOW engaged.
There Il an optimistic view that tho
work OF rccupcratiou and rchahilita-
ton must necessarily proceed upon a
vast scale and that the demand upon
American supplies viii ~ greater than
ever. n more moderate view that en-
tertained ~ men like James j. Hill
is that all European credit will be- great
~ diminished and that European pur-
chasing power must follow the course
of credit. Another view ~ that with
drawal of European capital invested IN
American properties will be- inevitable.
since il viii be- needed for the rcStora-
tion of the industries and utilities of the
now. bclligcrcnt countries.
All these considerations have An inn
portant bearing upon the course of bu-
SineSS and industry IN the United States
The hundreds ID millions Of gains re-
corded recently I'D hrradStuff. horses
and mules. sugar. leather and harness
and explosives must naturally rcccdc.
because Europe viii be producing again
ON a large scale with probably a greater
industrial army than ever. resulting
from diminished military establish
mcniS.
What will he our compromising
gains for the loss that has served 10 re-
licvr the pressure Of war on this side r
And III American capital must follow
into the vacuum caused by withdrawn
European capital. what will 10 the e.
feet upon our finances and economic
activity?
These are vital questions. II will ~ a
greatly changed situation 10 which We
shall have t. adjust orr affairs when
the war ends.
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