The Washington times., 1915-12-20
figures Quoted to Show In
creased Exports to ScandI-
naVian Countries.
coNsUL's STATISTICS CITED
Decrease in Business With Ger
many Balanced by Ship
mentS to Northern Countries.

General denial of the charge that re-
strictive British measures against Ger
man commerce have injured American
trade. or that British merchants have
profited by war measures to increase
their export trade. is made in a state
ment filed at the State Department by
Ambassador Spring-R today.
| The British ambassador in entering
this denial also renews his charge that
increased exports from the United
States to the Scandinavian countries
represent goods shipped to those coun-
tries and then reshipped to Germany.
In support OF this charge, the British
/ ambassador quotes figures Of the Dc
partment OF Commerce, showing that
| exports from the port of New York
alone to Denmark Norway. and Sweden
increased from s2O.OOO,OOO in the thirteen
months Immediately preceding the war
to $104 100000 in the thirteen months fol-
lowing the outbreak Of war, gain of
$s4, 10000 During the same period ex-
ports from New York to Germany are
shown to have declined from 90.7O0,0OO
to $5,SO0,OOo, a decrease Of SS49OO,OOO.
Increase In U. S. Trade.
The fact that the increase In ship
ments to Scandinavian countries in the
first thirteen months of the war exact
ly balances the decrease in shipments
to Germany dVring the same period is
held to be extremely significant by
the British ambassador.
| AS to the general charges of losses to
and discrimination against American
trade by British restrictive measures,
Ambassador Spring-Pice recalls the
trade depression in England and France
| ha rix xyiI nd oHHa
that It is mot to be expected that the
United States should be wholly un-
touched by such a world calamity as
the present war" He quotes both the
Secretary of Commerce ana the Secre-
tary of the Treasury, however, to show
that American trade has increased dur
ing the war. while British trade, ne
says. has suffered greatly in its ger
eral volume.
submitted in answer to charges OF un-
fair dealing by Great Britain, made by
Robert Skinner, American consul gen
eral at London. The communication
was not offered in any controversial
spirit" the ambassador said, but mere
ly to make the facts known.
Would Avoid Injustice.
II the State Department knows ANY
specifc instances in which the British
government has made use of their re-
strictive trade measures for the purpose
of unfairly discriminating between
british and American trade" Anbassa-
dor SPRING Eice asks that he be in
/: formed SO that he may cause an IN
/ uuiry and remedy such injustice.
| In his memorandum, the British am
bGssador enters a general denial OF Con-
sui General SINNERS charge that goods
exported from the United states 70 neu-
tral countries with the greatest dlftlcUi-
, ties and hazards are going forward III
, increased quantities from Great Brltaln
] to the same countries. He said that not
only has British trade decreased and
American trade increased, in spite OF
! lack OF shipping and abbreviated mar
: kets. but that British trade mas Ie.t- suIIet
than American trade has suHereQ Dy
the restrictions of exports 10 o>Great Brit
1 aims enemies.
! Cocoa Shipments.
0 Consul Skinner cited an increase in
, cocoa shipments from Great Britain to
7 the scandinavian countries OF from
: : 500 900 pounds in March and April, 1914,
? to 100000 pounds in the same months
t of 1915 as an evidence that Great Brit
aims trade was increasing at the ex-
pense Of American trade. The British
statement quotes figures of the Depart
ment OF Commerce 10 show that while
the United States exported no cocoa to
the Scandinavian countries in March
1915, it exported 100000 pounds, show
\ ing that the United States had great
: er proportionate increase than Great
l The British statement takes up a list
of tWenty-one commodities, including
oils cotton, tobacco. coffee and rubber,
in which re-eXports from the United
Kingdom of foreign and colonial mer-
= ckandise shows an increase. II theh
i cites figures of the Department OF Com
merce to show that exports from the
: United States of all these stems except
e certain oils and raw tobacco showed an
e Increase in the seven months ending
with last July.
. SINNERS Figures Cited.
% Consul General Skinner cited the fact
It that the customs returns of Sweden
= Norway, and Denmark all show a
d smaller volume of imports from Amer
lea since the war than before. notwith-
e standing the British plea that they
I, have swollen their imports to aid tht
+ The British statement again quotes
e figures of the department of Commerc,
TO show that exports from the United
n States to the three Scandinavian coun
II fiscal year ended June 80. 1914 TO S2IOs
l. OoO0l0 in the fiscal. year ended jun
II 80. 1915.
" The Department of Commerce fgures
Ambassador Spring Rice said in clos
ing, ''conclusiyely prove that the eN
10 port trade of the United States has no
is differed from the inevitable restriction!
1- on neutral commerce DERIVING from th'
state of war and that there is no YES
tige OF foundation for the insinuatiuI
rt that Great Britain has taken advautag,
l. of war conditions to increase British eN
rs ports to neutral countries at the CN
IN pense of American trade"
ne l.