The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-11-29
america CAN LEAD IN FINANCE
AND TRADE n IT SEXES CHANCE

III UlILLv WIfllIUL
-e>Ses~ss>e~sS>c-scSsesSS-se--eeSs>
our manufacturers vii. soon be over.
Swhelmed with orders.
The only questions IS will ous
friends have the money to pay for
their goods?
Issaid that Uncle Sam is today the
greatest Order aker" that the world
has ever seen. 4 wish that / might
say that he is also 4 The greatest sales.
man. AS many read ers know, there
is o great difference between an or.
ider.takera and salesman! The gro.
Gerry order aker does a fine business
when all of the other grocery stores
are closed but Il! takes "a good sales.
man to hold the trade when the stores
are open. \
Yes, Uncle Sam Is a fine order.taker
and with a monopoly Of the trade as
at present, he Is doing a rushing bust:
ness In order to, hold that business az.
ter the war he must become a real
salesman Il. y.
Will he do IL? y
The future only can tell. y 4. IL
In order to retain our position as
the world 'slmarketf place, we must not
only have an international currency
and be good statesmen, but we must
have ships with which to deliver our
goods. How long could "a grocer t1olo
his trade iffhe depended upon the de;
livery wagon of his competitors to
deliver his goods |? Here we are tire.
'mendously weak. Let me tell you
what statistics show. {. s.
In 1880 the United States carried
81 percent Of its exports in its own
ships, while today we are carrying
about 10 percent! Think what this
means! II means that five! should lose
the use Of foreign ships through be.
coming engaged in a foreign WAR, we
should at once lose 80 per cent. Of
our trades "a 5i.l
This 80 per cent. means about ST..
100000, 600. This could mean $500. a
year loss TO 1000 900 working men,
and perhaps cut OF the livelihood of
2 per cent. of our population. While
our shipping has fallen off, the Eng:
lishG shipping has greatly increased.
In 1880 the carrying capacity Of Brit.
ishb shipping was less than 2 per cent.
of the total, while now It Is nearly
20 per cent. E
You may have heard these argu.
ments already by someone who Is in.
terested in getting a government sub.
sidy or something of the kind. i how.
ever, am not giving these statistics
Tor any such purpose! I don't believe
in subsidies. i believe that our gov.
eminent should seithe- relax her ship.
ping laws or else build government.
owned ships. Igdidn't feel so before
Invent to South America for tile West
Yirginian but these are my sentiments
now. AT any rate, while we are de.
Gliding on the policy as to what TO do,
why couldn't our governmentibe build.
ing a few ships and thus avoid vast.
ing precious time? One thing Is Ger.
tain, We have a great opportunity 10
become the market place OF the
world but we surely can never hold
this position if we must depend upon
the delivery ships OF our competitors
to bring us goods or to take them
away. n 4
Our Great Political Opportunity
| hesitate to say much about inter:
national politics at the present time,
as It is almost imp possible TO lind any:
ena who Is really neutral. Most OF
my friends are pro.ally; some are
prot erman; but | have a few keen
friends who are very hopeful that both
the Germans and the English will be
whipped? Personally, / IAN inclined
to- believe that such "a result would be
best for us. Between the English and
the Germans 81 would much rather
have the English win than the Ger.
mans; but It seems to me Sthat tho
principl Inference between shumancas
English diplomacy and "barbarouss'
German diplomacy, is that the Eng.
,lish fetherize their patients before gen.
,deavoring to perform an operation,
while the Germans do not. Both are
trying to perform the same, operation;
namely, to secure control OF the car.
trying-trade of the A world. IL either
side succeeds in the present conflict,
will It otibei al most subordinate thing
for the I United States and all other
nations? 5iSl q l5s t.S
/ The seas belong neither to England
nor Germany. They should be; under
international control and not under
the control, of any one nation. Foreign
investments in South America, Asia,
and Africa should be under the con.
troll OF no one people. Men and their
investments when outside their own
country, sou1d be under international
control. The greatest political op.
portunityS ever offered to any nation
Is that of bringing about such "a mari:
time and comm rcial & Inter Nation.
The United States has, this oppor.
tunity5 and ] am confident that Presi:
dent Wilson will seize it at the sop.
perfume time. He has the vision.
Moreover, believe he also has the
good will of the one ation5 who would
block Il, namely Great Britain. Let
us all Loyalty back him up when the
time comes for he may ask us to give
up something in ord err to bring thisiIn.
ter Nation about,
M I mention this as It bears a most
important relation. to our opportun.
itys OF becoming the worlds market
IT