The Washington times., 1915-04-19
Wars Demands Heavy
On american Products
Industrial East Busy on Shrapne Saddery, Blankets,
and Cannon While West Raises the Biggest
Acreage of Wheat Ever Known.
By JUDSON C. WELLIVER.

cording to people who have studied the
statisti Is. They say that these grain
raisers will hold back till they re-
al'ze that the new crop is imminent;
then there IS possibility Of rush to
get rid Of the holdings, with the con-
sequence OF sag In prices just on the
eve OF the new crops marketing. III
such a sag comes, however, 1t will be
attributable. according to this analysis,
TO the temporary effect Of releasing
these old holdings. The expectation is
that wheat will be pretty uniformly
high for the next crop.
Points To Long War.
Some of the stories that come to
Washington from various industrial
districts, about the war demand for
Insnufa cturers, are most suggestive;
and as a rule they suggest strongly that
the European governments are buying
with reference to a long, not a short
war For example a manufacturer OF
metal working tools reported recently
that he was under contract for his en-
tire output for the next two and q
half years. Big plants tied up to con-
tracts which will Keep them running at
full capacity for six months. a year,
and two years. are not uncommonly re-
ported.
One of the big and permanent effects
Of the war is expected to involve the
American motor-car building industry.
Nowhere in the world have motor cars
ever been turned out so cheaply as In
this country, because the immense de-
mand here has made 1t possible to
standardize processes. Machiney has
been devised that turns out parts of
cars in ways that the Europeans have
not dreamed of trying to initiate.
The American cheap and medium
priced cars are getting an Introduction
to the European market that is going
to create demand after the war, un-
less all signs fail. The wide difference
between American and foreign methods
of manufacture makes possible tho pro-
ductiOn Off cars that Will sell abroad
once their merits arc realized there. oe-
spite the tariffs against them. More
over. the American cars are getting a
chance now IN markets that the Euro
peans formerly controlled. and the re-
suit is tho rapid advance in quotations
on standard securities OF companies IN
this business
The fashion In which the war pros
perity is spreading itselfNovcr the coun-
try Is attracting especial attention and
interest. The south suffered by reason
of the prostration OF the cotton market
i'm the earlier period Of the war: but the
rapid rehabilitation of the demand for
cotton. with the recovery Of prices, has
Caueed a ge"nral revival of confidence
and business in that section.
Admits Sweeping Error.
Nobody is moro ready, Just now to
! admit sweeping error. than the man
who a few months ago thought he saw
the f;sh Of the American cotton grow
, ing industry. Instead, there is an in
crcasing feeling that American cotton
is going to be back in normal conditions
before tho next crop is ready for pick
,, ing. and that the decrease In planting
/ will result in a distinct bulge In prices
, for the 1915 crop.
The diversification Of crops induced In
the South will ultimately be Of great
| advantage to that section, because tho
South will come nearer, under new con-
| ditions, than ever since the war, to
feeding i:>elf. This will. in turn. in
crease the country's surplus available
| for export and tend to maintain the
! favorable balance of trade.
The industrial East is busy turning
out ell manner of things from shrapne
! to saddlery. from cannon to blankets
| for the fighting countries. The agricul
tural West IS raising the biggest acre
age Of wheat ever known with prospects
OF continued high prices for it; and tn,
| Pacific Coast is sending grain. lumber
| fruit, canned goods through the Panama
canal to the European markets in guam
titles that were not dreamed when tn
! ditch opened The feeling in Washing
ton, In short, is that the purchase TO
! Europe in all lines indicate a belief tina
! tho war has yet long way to go, ant
that this country Is going to be busie
with every month Of its continuance Fl
furnishing the material for 1t.