Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-01-19

Just as Germany before the great war
was carrying her foreign trade. Along
with that big merchant marine went
a great foreign trade. 81
1t is quite true that there has been
big increase in transfers of shipping
from other flags to ours since the war
began, but that fact is easily explica
Bile from war reasons and may be dis
regarded. AS the thing stands now,
and If it so continues without change,
there will be no foreign trade for US
and no merchant marine when the
war is over, when we shall need every
inch Of pull we have to gather to our
selves and TO keep for ourselves that
tremendous foreign trade that today
has its hands out begging US to come
and take it.
Increase in Exports.
You cannot spend all your time,
money and men shooting up your prin
cipal competitor without hurting mu-
tually each others business. The ex-
port trade of the United States has in
creased tremendously since the war
| think you may be interested in some
| of these figures.
In 1915 our exports were 50, 700, 000,-
/ 600 as against $1,000 900, 900 in 1914,
an improvement of IS per cent The
/ balance of trade in our favor in 1915
was over billion dollars, as against
/ less than half that amount in 1914.
| Our merchant marine jumped from
million odd gross tons at the first of
July, 19l4,sto 100000 odd at June 80.
1915, a net gain of about so per cent
This gain, however, is not permanent;
an analysis of it will show that it is
here today and gone tomorrow. If we
stop muddling and get busy, we may
have some hope that the foreign built
ships that have changed registry will
not go back to their home flags when
the war is over, and we have lost our
bait of neutrality.
We are taking these things just as
they come. Apparently we have done
nothing to help get the business. If
we do no more than this, then when
the war is over we will be nowhere
and the nations of Europe will have
every incentive to fight for the bust
ness that was once theirs. | imagine
that when peace returns the merchants
of England. France, Germany, Holland,
Scandinavia and Russia will all be on
deck,-out after their share of the bus
mess, and if we have spent our time
: chasing after the immediate profits of
war orders and have not got down to
scientific, purposeful work to capture
, the neutral markets, we will never get
| them. When you are dealing with
foreign trade, YOU must adopt those
= methods which alone have made other
: nations successful in the past centur-
les. You must take a leaf or leaves
out CT their book: you must have high
/ ly developed banking facilities In
connection with the foreign branch
/ banks, system of credit facilities and
; opportunities must be installed and
put in operation. and those must be
: under the control of our own people,
: with due consideration taken of the
: language question and the customs Of
= = the people with whom we are DESTROYS
of trading. A benevOlently inclined
news agency would perhaps help to
neutralize the German and English
news agencies which naturally enough
in the years gone by have all over the
world given us and our merchants and
our goods the worst of it. In addition
to all these, your foreign trade will
never assume commanding proportions
unless you are able to invest in the
securities of the country or the inter
ests of the country with which you are
trying to do business"
Two Hundred Attend.
Two hundred We're present at the
banquet, representing 40 manufacture
inv plants in Rock Island, Davenport
Bettendorf, Moline and East Moline
The room was decorated in American
flags and the tables with carnations
and flags.
Music was provided by a quartet
from Moline and by the entertainers
in the Harper cafe. With the repas
concluded William Butterworth. presi
dent of the association, introduced W
A. Rosenfield of this city, the toast
master Mr.. Rosenield, with his hap.
py remarks kept the crowd in pleasant
humor He first introduced Mayor
William McConochie, who welcomed
the manufacturers. The mayors tall
was short, but he touched upon some
Of the national questions in which the
manufacturers were interested. Ht
advanced the opinion that this coun
try has been too lax in past wars il
not retaining lands for which it fought
citing the case of Cuba.
Mr.. Fyffe was followed on the pro
gram by Colonel W. ]. Nicholson, WHIT
is at Rock Island arsenal at presen
in session with the board of officers