The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-12
BRITISH DELAY MEANS
RUIN, SAY IMPORTERS

no blacklisted and not a case of goods
rould be got by them. Thousands Of
firms who are quite honest and quite
sound financially will he badly Gent, IL
not broken. " this condition lasts.
1t Is quite certain that the matter Is
OF greater importance to importers her.
IMAM to the manufactIr abroad, be
cause the cost to the importer here IL
double the manufacturers price, or what
IL to be paid to Germany Ton account ~
duty and %freights). and the importers
business Is In accordance. his loss being
propor;ionately large.
THE total amount Of goods imported
In this country in the best year we
F, ever had would not influence this war.
let alone the small amount which are
now possible to bring forward on ac-
count Of restriction of freights, &c. The
British blockade is only TO satisfy tho
hue u cry Of the English manusactur-
ers In England and hurts no one SO murh
as the importers here.
THAT 'permissions' should have been
secured In England which were impossi-
BILE 90 secure through the State Depart
rnent here was an injustice TO the Amer.
lean importers who were American cit.-
zens. Those who did secure them were
asked to pay large attorneys fees.
These fees amounted to about . TO 2E
per cent. Of the amount involved. ana
that American citizens should have to
submit to this In order to stay In bust
ness. or that they could have don II
at all. Is surely TO be regretted. We
should either get everything from Ger
many which Is non-contraband or We
should get nothing and we should be
able TO send all non-contraband goods
TO Germany or we should send nothing.
IMPORTERS"
Mind you tue man who wrote the
letter said 10 "A SCS reporter yesterday,
81 am not critlcislng Mr.. Bride. lie saw
a chance 10 make some money in a per-
fcctly legitimate way and accepted II.
II | had know he WAS going to England
| would have asked him to look out for
my firm too. But what "A pity that the
state department couldn't have done for
importers what he was able to do after
he left 1t. | have heard that MIR. Brides
commissions 10 about $3.50.
O00.'
Complaint Is Verified.
The reporter gave a synopsis Of the
letter to "A member OF another well
known importing firm. He said the
statement OF fact as related 10 him
was accurate"
You remember" he said, that the
original order IL Council effective on
March i last, was Intended to prevent
commodities OF any kind from reaching
or leaving Germany. Because or pro-
tests from the CHiied States and other
neutrals 1t was SO modlied-at least we
~ understood-tha, German cNporta-
tons paid for before March | or ordered
before March | and an obligation of pay
ment established between exporter and
importer prior TO that date could
be released from the ports where
they were held and carried to their des-
tinations. American Importers. how
ever. have had Il great deal OF difficulty
in submitting proofs satisfactory 10 the
British and in getting their stun through
the blockade even when the validity OF
proof was admitted.
I Il have no criticism to make of the
state Department which has been CON
Quoting most difficult negotiations. /
agree with the writer OF the letter to
The L that many Arms which do an
exclusively importing business are in a
bad predicament. As to Mr.. Bride. the
commission that he asked for when he
went into business for himself was rea-
sonable in my opinion. ] have no idea
how much money ne made. He re
turned TO the United States about a
week ago