The daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Leflore Co., Miss.) 1916-1919, 1916-11-27
NOT DEPENDENT
UPON EUROPE
I.epcrt of National Foreign Trade
Councils Investigation
Made.
(By Associated Press.)

New York, Nov. 27.-The extent to
which the life and industry of the
United States depend upon the pro-
ducts of the countries now at war ID
analysed in a report just issued as a
Tart of the National Foreign Trade
Councils investigation of the posi-
BILE effect of European economic alli-
snces on American foreign trade. Al
though it is shown that this country
only in rare instances is absolutely
dependent upon foreign supplies, the
analysis establishes the fact that the
efficiency, economy and convenience
of important American manufacturing
and exporting activities have been .di-
rectly related to the established
sources of foreign supply Of crude and
semi-manufactured materials. The
report says:
"Of 213 commodities, each of an
import value Of more than 81, 200 ,000,-
900 in 1913, 121 were principally inn
ported from nations of the allied group
Including the British %colonies), while
only 40 principally came from the
central powers In but AZ cases neutral
countries were the source of princi-
pal supply. This allied superiority
results from the United States ex-
tensive importations from the British
colonies. The United Kingdom lex
elusive of the British colonies) ap-
pears 46 times among the countries
of principal supply and Germany AZ
times" !.
Changes in such sources are posi-
bilities resulting from the European
alliances. increased cost of the sup
ply Of the materials concerned in such
changing, it is held, may result if
both the Entente and Central allied
economic groups seek to conserve
their own materials for their own, use,
cost being enhanced either through
the operation of the laws Of supply
and demand or by artificial restric-
tons such as the Canadian prohibi-
ton of the Crownland pulp woods.
ut would seem that policies direct
ed to establish self-sufficiency in eth
err or both groups would tend to a re-
arrangement rather than to a denial
of supply of raw material" says the
report. "In other words, if the Allies
endeavor to draw their raw materials
exclusively from among themselves,
neutral sources Of supply will be re-
lied upon by other nations now de-
pending upon the Allies"
The dependence of this country up
on the rest of the world for foodstuffs
is such that interruption Of supply
would not be serious. Importations
are mostly in specialties. There is no
actual dependence for foodstuffs upon
either allied group by this country.
Tea and coffee are possible excep.
tons to the practical independence of.
this country Of others for food. The
former is almost wholly supplied by
n neutral Brazil, and the latter could
be supplied wholly by other neutrals.
"A secure supply Of raw materials
and partly manufactured goods is es-
sential tr the future export trade"
continues the report. "The shortage
in the supply of several materials
used for industrial purposes in this
country since the outbreak Of the war
has disclosed the fact that the Unit
ed States manufacturing industry is
not completely self-supporting."
The report refers to the efforts to
create a coal tar dye industry here to
replace those products from Germany
and describes The sources Of other ~.
ticles for which the United States de-
ponds upon other countries.
I'm the case Of manganese where
British India and Russia, during 1918,
were the principal suppliers, supplies
are being Increasingly drawn from
it continues. For nickel,
however, the United States Is practice
ally entirely dependent upon Allied
sources. From 1911 to 1918, nickel
was imported only from Canada and
an extremely small percentage, a.
50 from Belgium. Also Ia tn / strong |