Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-04-05
AMERICANS CAN
NOT STAVE OFF
RUIN in BERLIN
Businessmen Find 1t Impos-
sible to Import Anything;
Cry For Aid

businessmen and firms in Germany.
cut off almost entirely from the goods
with which hey do business, have
been making desperate but compare
lively unorganized efforts TO stave off
the ruin that has been staring them
in the face. Some have tried to i'm
port stocks surreptitiously while 9TH
ers have attempted by curtailment and
economy to weather the storm. But,
Just as steadily as they have curtailed,
Just so steadily has England tighten
ed its blockade, until to-day the man
who receives a shipment Of anything
that is noncontraband is envied of
all his fellow American businessmen.
The situation became immeasurably
worse last year when the facilities of
the parcels post no longer were avail
able. More than one firm had eked
out its existence by this means.
After year and q half more or
less feeble effort at concerted action
has been made. This has consisted
OF wireless appeals to Congress and to
individual Congressman, through the
american Association of Commerce
and Trade" praying for some action.
The association first sent to most of
Germany set of questions, the most
important of which was What do you
think Will be the result if you con-
tinue to be unable to get goods?"
The answers varied in wording but
were epttomiZed in the reply of the
representative of a big typewriter
company, declaring that a continuation
OF the present situation spelled ruin.
Though the associations list of ques-
tons did not touch upon the point,
nine-tenths of the replies pointed out
that in addition to impending disaster
trade was slowly but surely falling in
to the hands of German competitors
AS Associated Press correspondent
made a canvass of the larger American
establishments in Germany-estab-
lishments which for the most part
have been in business for decades. and
winch not only are gradually losing
their German and Austrian business
but also before the war dealt with
Germany's present opponents, and
consequently have lost their trade
with Russia, France, Italy, Belgium
and other countries.
The list included the largest type
writer company in the world, the larg-
est dental supply firm in existence.
the biggest shoe company, in point of
sales OF American goods, in Germany
a large adding machine corporation, a
l1lanIlaCtuIlnR
concern, one of the largest manufac-
turers of toilet articles in America and
other smaller concerns. but no at
tempt was made to determine the
possible losses of establishments deal
ing in contraband, or even in condi-
uonal contraband except as the
latter constitutes part of the imports
of the dental supplies in the form of
gutta percha and rubber. The cor
rnSnnnnant'G GO
fine solely to things at present held
up by the blockade which could not
directly serve war purposes.
Many million of dollars worth of
goods either have been held up or,
though needed. have not been order
ed because of the impossi ibility of get
ting them. Many more millions of
invested capital probably will be lost
completely, in the opinion of their in
vestors, If there is not a speedy rem
edy.
Womens and children's shoes, it is
contended, are not contraband Yet
the American shoe men in Germany
despair of ever being able to get any
more because they assume that Eng
land withholds these articles on the
theory that, without American goods,
Germany must apply considerable
proportion of its leather stock to sup
ply its civilian population. With
American shoes for women and chill
dren this leather could be used for
soldiers footwear.
Businessmen in other lines-type-
writer's for example - fail to under
stand what advantage the blockade
can have. America, and America
only, they maintain, is being hurt.
Germany, they say, has an abundance
of metal, and the exclusion of Ameri-
can typewriters merely gives the Ger
man manufacturers of this machine
an advantage that they have waited
for in vain since the introduction of
the industry here.
A considerable item in the damage
to Americans caused by the blockade
lies i'm overhead expenses. Almost
without exception the principal firms
here find themselves with long-term
leasCs on their hands. Though they
face the necessity of Shutting up
shop within a short time, their
rents must he continued as long as
they have the money to pay them.
All have had to discharge employees,
and all have been hampered by los
ing men who have been drawn into
the army. One adding machine COM
pany has reduced it's subsidiary con-
Germs from eighty to twenty.
The situation, at least for the firms
dealing in mechanical devices is the
more serious because they not only
are not able to import their machines
but because even shipments of parts"
are stopped, and they cannot in con-
sequence carry out contracts made be-
fore the war.
The only American firms which
have not reached an almost hopeless
stage are those-principally the man
ufacturers of farl..ing machinery -
which have plants here in Germany,
and which therefore are largely in
dependent of imports. Many of these
are said to be prospering by divert
ing temporarily their activities to the
production of ammunition.
American importers of goods of
every kind long ago gave up Holland
as a country through which they
could get material. Scandinavia has
become the medium through which
the little dribbles, that comes in. And
the Scandinavian countries. according
to the consensus of opinion, are busily
occupied in looking out for them
selves.
Some of the American businessmen
in Germany, have discarded all
scruples in the matter of declarations.
and very frankly admit that when
ever possible goods declared to be in
tended for Denmark or Norway are
reshipped to Germany. Only in this
way have the firms been able to con-
tinue in business. Another set of men,
in the minority, have gone without
that which is urgently needed because
they would not try to deceive. The
manager of a great concern in Ger