The sun., 1917-06-26
EXPORTSBOARD
ORDERED TOACT
Men May Begin Control of
Shipments Within Twenty
four Hours.

WASHINGTON, June 25.-President Will
son issued to-day an executive order es-
tablishing an Exports Council. which will
administer the embargo about to be
placed upon practically all cereals and
other foodstuffs and on all important
war materials.
Within twenty-four hours. according
to reliable information, agencies Of the
Department OF Commerce will be grant
ing and refusing licenses for the ship
ment OF goods abroad. A cargo Of wheat
consigned to Switzerland already has
been held w by the French Consul Gen.
eral In the expectation that the Ameri-
can Government was about ready to
make known its policy.
The Exports Council which has been
designated by the President and which
consists Of Secretary Lansing, chair
man: Secretary Redfeld Of the Depart
ment OF Commerce, Secretary Houston
OF the Department OF Agriculture and
Herbert c. Hoover. will meet tomorrow
at III 80 O'Clock. and 1t is expected that
its first meeting will result In the for
mutation OF Recommendations covering
the commodities whose export should be
suspended or curtailed and specifying
the countries to which the regulations
should apply.
One of the First Steps.
One Of the agst sadssvors Of the Ex-
poIU council win be to prevent -the
shipment abroad Of the husc QUANTITIES.
OF wheat from the 1917 crop that have
been bought in the Southwest by buyer
from the neutral Governments within the
last rev weeks. The neutrak will be
caught with millions OF dollars worth
OF wheat on their. hands. part of which
at least they will be unable to shin 10
their home Governments.
~ they attempt to retain their large
noioings, which the United States and
her allies require. the boarding pro-
visions OF the Lever food bill. soon to be
PASSED. VIII be brought into play and
the neutrals forced to disgorge. Steel.
coal and other war commodities destined
Tor certain countries also will be placed
under partial ban.
The President's Explanation,
President Wilson's statement OF the
export control policy follows
AZ Is important that the country
should understand Just what is intended
In the control Of exports which is about
TO be undertaken. and since the power
Is vested by the Congress in the Presi-
dent can speak with authority con-
cernins It. The exports council will be
merely advisory to the President. There
VIII. OF course. be no prohibition of ex-
ports. The normal course Of trade will
be- interfered with as little as possible.
| and SO far as possible only its abnormal
course directed. The whole object will
be to direct exports in such a way that
they will 90 first and by preference
where they are most needed and most
Immediately needed. and temporarily be
withheld II necessary. where they can
best be spared.
Our primary duty in the matter of
foodstuffs and like necessaries is to see
to II that the peoples associated with us
in the war get as generous a proportion
as possible of our surplus, but It will
also be our wish and purpose to supply
| the neutral nations whose peoples de-
pend upon us for such supplies as
| nearly in proportion TO their need as
the amount to be divided permits.
There will thus be little check put
upon the volume OF exports and the
prices obtained for them will not be
affected by this regulation.
system of Licensing Exports.
This policy will be carried out. not
| by prohibitive regulations therefor. but
by system Of licensing exports which
will be as simply organized and admins
tered as possible so as to constitute no
impediment to the normal flow of COM
merce. In brief. the free play OF trade
will not be arbitrarily interfered with.
II will only be intelligently and syste-
matically directed in the light of full in
| formation with regard to needs and
market conditions throughout the world
| and the necessities OF our people a 4.
home and our armies and the armies of
our associates abroad.
THE Government is taking or has
taken steps to ascertain. for example,
Just what the available present supply
of wheat and corn is remaining from
the crops of last year, to learn from
each OF the countries exporting those
foodsturs from the United States what
| their purchases In this country now are
! and where they are stored and what
! their needs are in order that we may
adjust things so far as possible to our
( own needs and free stocks, and this in
formation Is In course OF being rapidly
supplied.
THE case OF wheat and corn will serve
as an illustration Of all the rest. Of sup
/ plies of all kinds. Our trade can be sue
cessfully and profltably conducted now,
the war pushed to victorious issue and
the needs of our own people and OF the
otner peoples with whom we are still
free to trade efficiently met only by sys-
tematic direction. and that is what will
he attempted"
Series of Procla ma tiOns.
Members Of the exports council to-
morrow will recommend to the President
a series OF proclamations which will put
! the law into active operation.
4; The FIRST proclamation viii require the