Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-01-09
Prepare for the Trade War.

In the strenuous trade contest that VIII toHoW
the close of the war, Americans will face highly
organized and deeply resourceful competitions
European exporters will act, individuals but
in national groups and will be aided by their re-
spective governments. Germanys manufacturers
and merchants will cooperate at every stage of
their foreign trade interests and will those of
Great Britain, France and the other nations now at
war
This presents problem which Americans must
be prepared for, suffer a grave disadvantage.
Our exporters cannot hope to meet by merely in
dividual enterprise competition which is based on
the united resources of empires and backed by
powerful governments. The New York CONNER
cal Interestingly points out in this connection that
a German cartel probably will buy for all
German consumers in markets. and that all
American producers must sell TO the same agency
when exporting to Germany If such methods of
cooperative buying we'll cooperative selling
open to Europeans and are closed to Americans,
the result will be grievous indeed for this country.
In those circumstances as the Commercial ex
plains, the United States having low tariff would
become "a slaughter market for foreign goods, and
sacrifice buyers market in which foreign cartels
and trade organizations could fix the prices they
would pay because there would be only one buyer
for each country, perhaps for each group of
countries"
Hence the urgent need of legislation like that
embodied in the Webb bill, egalizing cooperation
for export trade and the development of American
opportunities in foreign markets. The measure has
passed the House and is pending in the Senate. 1t
should be pressed to enactment the earliest pos
sble day. in order that our merchants and manu-
facturers may begin preparing for the great world
contest ahead.
Under the antitrust law, adequate co-opera-
ton of this kind would not be permissible or, at
least, would be very dubious unless it were au-
thorized by Congress. The antitrust law de-
signed, of course, to protect the common rights of
business against conspracies in restraint of trade,
to vouchsafe fair deal to all interests concerned,
to that the country's industry and commerce
should have full freedom of development.
But these purposes will be defeated if Ameri-
cans not allowed to organize for foreign trade
while their European competitors armed with
all the strength which thorough organization gives
In fact the antitrust law would become a weapon
in the hands of competitors if they left to
buy and sell in national groups while our own ex-
porters required to act merely as individuals.
1t is to meet this situation that the Webb bill is
urged.
With the encouragement of such a law Ameri-
capital and enterprise will go forward with new
vigor and hopefulness in the development of foreign
trade opportunities Our advantages in that field
numerous. We have abundance of raw ma
terlal, d pIenuLuue OF WORKING capltaI, a banking
system at flexible and strong. Our natural re-
sources and energies unimpafred by war. Our
industrial methods are becoming more and
efficient. Our scarcity of shipping facilities for
overseas trade, though still pronounced, will be
greatly helped by the efforts which the Government
and private interests alike are now making to up
build the merchant marine. With all these advan-
tages the United States face the coming trade
with assurance, provided its exporters can CO.
operate-withn reasonable limits, of course, and
under the supervision of the Federal Trade Com
mission But the power to organize for economy
and efficiency in foreign selling is essential