Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-15

FIGHT TO STAvE
OFF COMING RUIN
American Business Men Located in
Germany Suffer Severely From
Effects of Blockade.

year and half the American business
men and firms in Germany, cut Off al
most entirely from the goods with
which they do business, have been
making desperate but comparatively
unorganized efforts to stave off the
ruin that has been staring them in
the face. Some have tried to import
stocks surreptitiously while others
have attempted by curtailment and
economy to weather the stom. But,
just as steadily as they have curtailed,
just so steadily has England frightened
it's blockade, until today the man who
receives a shipment of anything that
is -contraband is envied Of all his
fellow American business men.
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 it's existence by this means.
After year and half a 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
the big American business firms in
Germany a set of questions, the most
important of which was What do you
think will be the result if you continue
to be unable to get goods?"
The answers varied in wording, but
were epitomized in the reply Of the
representative of a big typewriter
company, declaring that a continue
ton of the present situation spelled
ruin. Though the associations list of
questions did not touch upon the
point, nine-tenths of the replies point
ed out that in addition to impending
disaster, trade was slowly but surely
falling into the hands of German
competitors.
| An Associated Press correspondent
made a canvass of the larger Ameri
can establishments in Germany-es-
! adjustments which for the most part
! have been in business for decades, and
which 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,
large addingmachine corporation a
well known elevator manufa curing
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 pos
slble losses Of establishments dealing
in contraband, or even in conditional
contra band-eXcept as the latter con-
stitutes part of the imports of the
dental supplies in the form of gutta
percha and rubber The correspond
ent's investigation was confined solely
to things at present held up by the
blockade which could not directly
serve war purposes
Many millions of dollars worth Of
goods either have been held up or,
though needed, have not been ordered
because of the impossibility of getting
them. Many more millions of in
vested capital probably will be lost
completely, in the opinion of their in
vestors, if there is not a speedy rem
edy.
Women and children's shoes, it is
commended, 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 a considerable
proportion of its leather stock to SIM
ply its civilian population. With
American shoes for women and chill
dren this leather could be used for
soldiers footwear.
business men in other lines-type-
writers for example-fail to under
stand what advantage the blockade
can nave. 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
German manufacturers of this ma
chlne an advantage that they have
waited for in vain since the introduc-
tlon OF the industry here.
A considerable item in the damage
TO Americans caused by the blockade
hes IN overhead expenses. Almost
without exception the principal firms
mere lind themselves with long-term
leases on their hands. Though thew
lace the necessity of shutting IN
shop within short time, their rents
must be continued as long as thew
have the money to pay them. All have
mad to discharge employees, and all
nave been hampered by losing men
VINO have been drawn into the army
One adding-machine company has re-
duced its subsidiary concerns from
eighty to twenty.
Inc situation at lea 81 for tho s.