The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-05-23
SHOULD COOPERATE.
United States and Italy in Trade Rela
lions.


Rome, May 23.--Correspondence of tn
Associated Press.--"The United State
should send trade commission to Italy
and Italy should send one to the United
States, and the two commissions should
cooperate, if these two countries wan
to fully develop their joint commerce,
said Ernest E. Ling of the American
Chamber of Commerce for Italy and rep
resentative in Italy of one of the larg
est banks of New York.
II have been in Italy eight months and
it is clear to me that the big war bust.
ness the United States is now doing
here can be continued after the war il
both countries pull together" he con.
tinued
"The best asset and wealth of Italy
is her working spirit that the war has
weakened The nobility of Italy have
learned in the trenches that work is not
disgrace, and all are eager to leave
off their old custom of cane.earrying and
party dancing.
"The other fellows in the trenches who
have always worked more or less for a
living are going to come out OF the war
graduates of fine working school and
they are going to 60 to work in the
shops as skilled workmen.
From an American point of view,
Italy has become fine market for iron,
steel, coal, cotton electrical equipment,
for mechanical tools, for heavy machin-
cry tools of all kinds. Before the war
Germany sold largely of these materials
I,.A Al q "a
alone. They have developed elf-reliance
as national asset, and this lasting re-
suit of the war should improve the mar
ket for American products.
"The big point in international trade
is craftsmanship, and this is where trade
commissions could do much good, by
securing closer government cooperation,
by regulating tariffs, by revising com
mercial laws, by bringing closer togeth-
er the business people OF the respective
nations. by using expert information for
the establishment of credits. What my
firm thinks Of Italy is indicated by the
fact that its first European branch was
established in Genoa October last, prior
by four months to its Petrograd branch.
OF course Genoa is big shipping center
for all of south Europe.
"While the Americans in Italy are not
idle, trade commissions of other nations,
such as Japan, are active. A good deal
of Italy's new trade will go to South
America, but the credit extensions pos
sible in the United States should be an
advantage. The Italians appreciate this !
fact but ! doubt if anybody, however, |
in all of Europe knows that the internal |
commerce of the United States is so
enormous that we could do very well
without any foreign trade whatever.
'ltaly is aware of her own necessity |
for the development of her foreign trade |
Is well as her internal resources. The
coal situation in this war showed her
now helpless she is, for instance, with I
steam instead of electrical power. Her
rational poverty in industries is to-day
registered by the exchange value of her
money, which loses some thirty per cent
lbroad She is courageously preparing
o increase her industries, such as silk,
o make her soil produce more wheat
md other foods, and improve her land
md water transportation systems, and
o develop her natural mineral deposits"