New Britain herald., 1916-12-01
ITALY IS FUTURE
 GATE TO THE EAST
Many American Firms Opening
 Houses for Oriental Trade

Milan, Italy, Dec 1.-The explan-
 ation of the increasing number of l American firms settling in Italy is l the realization that Italy Is the future 1 gateway to the Orient and to the Near
 East, according to Charles F. Hauss, president of The American Cham Der of Commerce for Italy.
 l Because of her geographical posi- ton, joining the north of Europe to ! the Orient" said MT. Hauss to cor ] respondent of The Associated Press, l "Italy today offers better business opportunities for Americans in my estimation than South America or l the Far East. She has a fine com- 1 mercial strategic position and her 1 aware of the fact. and intend to push this advantage of location.
 ''Wartime Italy is far more pros- porous than is generally known The recent declaration of dividends show
 ed earnings higher even than in
 peacetimes. It is also not generally known that Italy bought more pro- ducts in the United States during the past year than in any four other great countries. She bought over two hun dred millions from us. as compared to eighty millions in England, fifty in the Argentine. fifty in France, and fifteen in Switzerland. She is selling to us something over fifty millions a year, which is about her normal year ly sales of before the war.
 Increase Business With U. S.
 There is going to be much more business between Italy and the United States as this big fact of her geo. graphical situation is better appre- c1ated, and when both Italy and the United States increase ther number of merchant ships, at present sadly inadequate to handle the cargoes either way. Italy has provided and will continue to provide abundant re- turn cargoes, such as her renowned silks, laces, furniture, alim entary foods, wines, cheese, her beautiful marbles, hematite iron. lead, and zinc ores as we'll as certain other manufactures in which she excels. Be- fore the war Italy was laying the gound for a fine national merchant marine and right now during the war she is continuing that policy.
 T have lived in Italy nearly eight of the seventeen years I have been in Europe, and I can say that Italy l have ever lived under. It's laws, though severe, are just, and when you get to know Italians and their cus- toms you will realize what great strides they have made in science, in dustry and commerce during the last forty years of a United Italy. Milan, with it's more than 100000 inhabi- tants, the heart of industrial Italy, has a record of growth unique in modern European history. Its popu- lation has increased fifty per cent in the last ten years, due to the wealth and hustle of her business men.
 "All of the American firms now in Italy to my knowledge and belief are prospering, some even more than previous to the war.
 "It Is no more difficult to organize separate company here than else where, though it would be we'll be- fore settling for an American com pany to first carefully try out the field by actual trial of it's goods on the Italian market. Obviously, for some kinds of goods a separate com pany is not advisable, as in the case of goods light in weight. of small volume and of certain value, since such goods may be sea-shipped and easily entered, if the tariff Is not high.
 Italian tariffs are not oppressive, and they are always specific, never ad valorem. This, of course, means that the higher the value of the mer-
 chandise the easier it is to export to Italy.
 'Italy welcomes American initia-