Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-07-09
WILL FORCE CONTROL
OF WORLDS SHIPPING
United States and Great Britain to
Rule Commerce Of Seas--Effect May
30 to Lower Prices at Home
President Explains Cause and Effect
Of Action.

President Wilson last night in proc
lamation putting under license ship
ments to all countries of the most i'm
portant export commodities,
In a statement accompanying the
proclamation the president declared
the governments policy Will be hrs
TO give consideration to American
needs: next. to meet as far as posi-
Bile the requirements of the allies, anc
lastly, to supply the neutral countries
wherever practicable. 1t is made clear
that every effort will be made to see
that no supplies reach the central pow
err
| Commodities On List.
The commodities named in the lisE
put under control are coal. coke. fuel
oils, kerosene and gasolene, including
| bunkers; food grains, flour and meal
fodder and feeds. meats and fats, pig
| iron. steel billets, ship plates and struc-
| tural shapes. scrap iron and scrap
| steel: ferro manganese. fertilizers,
arms. ammunition and explosives.
The inclusion of foodstutfs in the
proclamation lends color 10 statements
that the administration is considering
the advisability of a complete embargo
for sixty days on all food shipments to
give the country time to ascertain the
amount Of its supplies and TO give al
| lied and neutral countries an oppor-
tunity to present a full program OF
| their requirements.
| May Lower Prices.
Many experts assert that the present
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largely to the tremendous amount of
| food and fuel recently purchased for
export from the United States.
The president in his statement said
the government was trying first to
ameliorate present food conditions that
are expected to arise between now
and the next harvest.
Many officials. alarmed at the wheat
shortage and the heavy drain the allies
and neutrals are making on every kind
Of American food supplies, are urging
an immediate embargo on food ship
| ments.
Control All Shipping.
Thru control Of coal and fuels the
government intends TO take firm
grasp on shipping An arrangement
can and British governments control
Of not only all allied tonnage but OF
neutral vessels as we'll
Ships now on runs not regarded as
necessary to a successful conduct OF
| the war will be forced into trades con-
sidered more essential, and vessels now
| held in port thru fear Of submarine
attack will be required TO go into serv-
ice.
Control Of iron and steel was made
necessary by war demands on the Iron
and steel industries.
viii Force Japan.
4 shortage ri steel in this country
Is threatened because of the lar
amount that is being diverted TO NUM-
tons manufacture and the construction
OF the governments merchant fleet.
Japan's heavy purchases Of steel
plates for merchant shpbuilding made
necessary that plates be put under con-
| troll. At the same time this action gives
the government weapon with which
| to force Japanese tonnage into the
trans Atlantic trades.
Specific regulations governing food
exports and shipments of other COM
| modities named in the list are expected
| to be issued by the president in a
few days.
May Keep Food Here.
Even If a complete embargo is not
placed on food exports for time 1t is
known many restrictions will be made.
The exports council, comprising three
cabinet members and the food admins
| traitor, are drawing up program to be
submitted to the president immedi-
ately.
One argument advanced by advocates
OF a complete embargo on food ship
ments is that the neutral countries and
the allies have presented entirely diff
ferent statements regarding the amount
Of foodtsuffs going from the neutral
countries into Germany. 1t is argued
also that the neutrals cannot be treat
| ed all alike, as varying conditions OBJ.
| tain In Holland and in the Scandinav-
ian countries.
| President Explains.
| Explaining his proclamation, the
president says:
"In controlling by license the export
Of certain indispensable commodities
from the United States, the government
has first and chiefly in view the ame1-
| ioration Of the food conditions which
have arisen or are likely to arise in
our own country before new crops are
harvested.
mot only is the conservation Of our
food and fodder supplies a matter
which vitality concerns our own people,
but the retention Of an adequate sup
ply Of raw materials Is essential to our
program Of military and naval con-
struction and the continuance Of our
necessary domestic activities. We shall.
therefore, similarly safeguard all our
fundamental supplies.
| Care Of Neutrals.
TT is obviously the duty Of the Unit
ed States in liberating any surplus
mestic needs, to consider first the ne
cessities Of all the nations in wal
j against the central empires.
! "a tn neutral nations however. we
also recognize our duty. The govern
ment does not wish to hamper them
i On the contrary, it wishes and intends
By all fair and equitable means to
co operate with them in their difficult
task Of adding from our available sur
pluses to their own domestic supply
and of meeting their pressing neces-
i sites or deficits.
"In considering the defits Of food the
I! United States government must needs
fulfill its obvious obligations to assure
Itself that neutrals are outstanding
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