The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-02
Demand for Manufactured Products for Rebuilding
 Will Be Enormous
RUSSIA TO BECOME
 HEAVY PURCHASER
American Manufacturers Are Look ing to the Future and Are Max ing Plans on Very Ex-
 tensive Scale
By HOLLAND

New York, March 1-(SpecaL)-One of the most influential of the statesmen of Russia was reported to have said at the recent opening of the session of the duma, or Russian Parliament that the commercial relations which will be es- tablished between the United States and Russia at the close of the European war will result in very large imports of American apparatus, machinery tools and other commodities. In making that statement, this statesman did more than emphasize the view which is taken by many of our leading manufacturers respecting our exports to foreign coun- tries after the war is ended
 Now and then intimations come from some of those in touch with the United States Steel corporation that the com pany has in contemplation plans which look far into the future, and especially the development of the export trade in the commodities manufactured by that corporation.
 So, also, those who are directing sev eral of the large corporations that are now chiefly occupied sn the manufacture of munitions and equipment of war are persuaded that as soon as the war is ended demand for American manufac- tured commodities, especially machinery, will come from the beligerent countries and from many of the neutral nations, and that it will be so great to make favorable comparison with the orders which the European war made it neces- sary to place in the United States.
 It is for this reason probably that some of the manufacturers do not look with apprehension into the future of our ex- port trade They have heard, they say, many predictions that after the war England, at least, and to some extent France, will concentrate their energies upon efforts to regain some of the gold sent here, and will do that by exporting to the United States enormous quantities of commodities upon which such small prices have been fixed that these goods will command the market.
 Nevertheless from Europe, from Rus sia and to some extent from England it is inevitable that there will come orders for great amounts of manufactured com modities which will be needed in order to make good the losses occasioned by the devastation of war.
 Devastated Europe must be recon- structed as soon as possible after the war is ended. How clearly this is under stood in those countries is demonstrated by the fact that almost all of them have sent commissions to the United States already so that information could be ob- tained respecting the ability of American manufacturers to meet these demands. Sometimes the estimate is made that in the aggregate they will represent many hundreds of millions of dollars and may require several years before the orders are completed and delivered.
 REBUILDING FACTORIES
 While there has been no destruction of industrial plants in England, yet similar plants in Belgium have been almost com pletely destroyed, and that is true of a part of France. When reconstruction of these plants is begun, the necessity will arise for equipping them with machinery and tools, and especially the kind of ma chinery and tools which American indus tries now manufacture as well as or bet ter than the industries of other nations ever did. There should be an enormous demand for American timber. One sug- gestion of the extent of this demand was furnished by commissioners who repre- sent Belgium who few weeks ago wis., ited the United States for the purpose of learning whether or not Belgium could obtain from American manufacturers as many as SOO,0OO, possibly 500,O0O, doors.
 In the late spring and early summer of this year there is to be established in Paris, and, in fact. in the world-famous Gardens of the Tuileries, an exposition principally of manufactured commodities of the kind that will be especially avail able in repairing the devastation of war.
 The expectation is that this exposition will serve as a great market place to which customers of all parts of Europe will come with intent to buy or to give orders for commodities, many of which are of the kind in which the United States has gained prestige in the manu- featuring.
 American manufacturers regard this not merely as an excellent opportunity for marketing their own commodities, but also as highly significant of the policy of preparedness which in many ways France has already so conspicuously dem cnstrated as her own.
 While there is no direct connection, and probably in only remote sense indirect relation. between the visit of J. F. Nor gan to London and presumably to Paris before he returns to the United States and the policy of preparedness which France has adopted, nevertheless the fact that Mir. Morgan is understood to be ne- gotiating for the placing of a new credit or new loan in the United States for France, possibly for as much as $2O0, ,0O0,- 900, is proof sufficient not only of the ability of France thoroughly to finance it's present needs. but also to finance the payment of the heavy imports of ma chnery, tools and other apparatus which will be needed in repairing the industrial devastation in France occasioned by the war.
 While great deal of interest is mani- fested in all of the activities which have for their purpose the increase of our trade with South American nations, nevertheless some of the ablest of the in- dustrial leaders take the view that imme- diately after the war much the larger part of our exports, excepting, of course. food and agricultural products, will be in the form of American manufactures which are needed in the work of restOr- ing industrial plants, rebuilding roads and bridges reconstructing railroads and, in Russia at least, in expanding great agricultural industries.