TaÌˆgliche Omaha tribuÌˆne. [volume] (Omaha, Nebr.) 1912-1926, 1917-10-27
1.-THE GREATEST PORT
IN THE WORLD.

Mimi ia Liz WOtAl lAdo AplllL ~
New York. 1t is instructive Il
trace the course of history tina
has changed the currents o
commerce, the location of trad,
routes, and at last has thrown
domination at our heads
whether we will or no.
All during the middle age.
the commercial, financial ans
shipping center OF the worlc
was in Italy. Venice and Geno;
etrove for the palm. The grea.
trade was between western
Europe and the Orient, via ths
Mediterranean. At the western
end Of the route were the Italian
cities, which transshipped, stor
ed and distributed goods foi
the western world.
The Saracens took CONSTANT
nople, conquered Egypt and
closed the overland routes tc
Persia, India and China. There
with the glory of Venice and
Genoa departed. In search OF
a sea route to Asia, the Portu-
guese sailed round the Cape OIL
Good Hope and Lisbon became
the worlds port, the clearing
house between east and west.
The Portuguese were navigat-
ors, but not merchants. Nor had
they the financial strength to
handle the trade they had
brought upon themselves. The
Dutch had the money and the
merchandising skill; they were
also sailors. They drove the
Portuguese out of the field they
had discovered. Antwerp on the
Scheldt replaced Lisbon.
Amsterdam, also Dutch, re-
placed Antwerp and was the in
ternational world center until
the British fleet drove van
Tromp off the seas and wresteI
for Great Britain the eastern
trade.
London's dominion was built
upon the monopoly OF the Eng
lish East Indies Company and
the monopoly of the trade Of the
North American colonies.
The products OF the old east
ern and the new western world
had to come to London in Brit
ish ships, and in London be
stored, financed, sold, transship.
ped to other lands. AS shipping
center London to-day must dis
pute the palm with Liverpool,
Antwerp and Hamburg; but as
warehousing and financial mis-
tress Of the world, the city on
the Thames still reigns supreme.
Until three years ago New
York was great because it was
the chief outlet of a continent.
We were not a transshipment
nor re-cxport center, London
did our international financing
for US. We paid in sterling ex-
change and we were paid in
sterling exchange.
To-day we have risen to be
the greatest manufacturing ma
ton in the world. That means
that unsold cargoes of wool,
hides, sugar, rice, jute will be
consigned to New York to be
sold en- route or stored and dis
posed of in the market that
serves the worlds chief indu-
strial center. Work for the
warehouses and the bankers
who carry these products!
The re-exportation Of these
goods to minor markets will re-
suit in a large volume Of freight
to be added to our domestic ex-
ports and so supply the basis
for more varied and frequent
ocean service from New York.
Our export trade has risen
from two and a half to six bill
lion dollars a year. Every one
is buying in America. Because
Of the paralysis of non-war in
dustries elsewhere and because
Of the great purchases from
America that must be made for
reconstruction, all the world is
going to want dollar exchange
dollar exchange means "the
right to receive money in New
York" Because dollar exchange
is generally acceptable it is go
ing TO become a standard me-
dunn Of payment between for
eign countries. American banks
are going to get a part OF the
rich toll that London exacted
from merely acting as an inter
national financial clearing house.
The course of events d~estines
us to commercial leadership.
What sort of leadership that
will be depends upon US. W.
can, if we insist, prove so in
canahle that the nnnnrt,,n;4c