The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-04-16

IGNORE
The i. 5.


New York, N. Y, April 16.-There
will be such great need for reconstruc-
ton in the international. trade situa-
States cannot be ignored and its COM
merce cannot be seriously hampered
without serious reaction upon those
responsible for. preferential agree
ments, says G. e. Roberts, assistant to
the president of the National City
bank. The talked of economic al
liances, he thinks, are by no means to
be neglected, but he does not see any
reason for doubling that if the inter
ests of the United States are intelli-
gently handled they can be well safe
guarded.
In a Forthcoming issue Of The
Americas Mr.. Roberts discusses this
subject as follows:
After reciprocity upon the most
favorable basis within the British en-
pire there is in contemplation reci-
procity among the allies upon basis
more favorable than the relations with
neutrals, and finally, if the original
scheme of the Paris conference is
adhered to, trade with nations that
have been neutral during the war will
be on a more favorable basis than
with enemy nations.
men the WuOl0 pan 10 duORISuS
the United Kingdom will thus have at
least four sets of import duties in
effect at the same time, and accord
ing to the preferences will buy wheat
first from the colonies, then from Rus
STA, and presumably complete it's re-
quirements from Argentina and the
United States.
France, according to the scheme
would look first to Russia and then to
A M "a xyh
neutrals and enemy countries would
look directly to Argentina and the
United States, unless they had GUS
toms alliance of their own. Except
as the production of wheat might be
stimulated by these preferential meas
ures to supply particular demand,
the price might not be affected; but
in products where substitution was
not so easy prices would he disturbed
and consumers would pay for the dis
turbance. H..
Takes upon raw materials entering
England would affect the industries
unfavorably, at least until England
was independent of outside supplies.
BY the time that point was reached
manufacturers in other countries, by
virtue Of the Advantage over British
manufacturers in obtaining these ma
terials, would be ready to relieve the
latter of trade outside the empire, and
as a net result the total of British
trade might be considerably reduced.
"a variety of raw materials is very
desirable in manx industries. A pref
erence to colonial products would
tend to concentrate British consump-
ton upon those products and to direct
competing products to other markets.
1t would tend to narrow the choice
or increase the costs of British in
dustry.<
I'm short, although it may be inn
portant as q safeguard against weak
ness in time of war for the British
empire to become self sufficient, at
least as to materials of vital i'm
portapce, it is quite certain that every
attempt to curtail its purchases from
other countries will also tend to re-
strict it's sales to other countries. The
chief advantage of the protection pol
lev to the United States has been in
stimulating immigration to man the
new industries developed here, but
from what countries do the British
colonies expect to stimulate immigra-
ton? ~
"Great Britain's trade is vastly
wider than her dominions, and, while
the latter are capable OF supporting a
greatly increased population, 1t VIII
be a long time before they will be
able to compensate for the loss of out
side trade. Whenever England begins
artificaIly to increase the cost Of her
manufactures by paying bounties upon
colonial materials or colonial food
supplies, she is bound to weaken her
position for trade with the rest OF the
world"