Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-05-28
Trade After the War
By Frederic ]. Haskin

/ tfHEf countries Hfh paving Hfphf At
tention to these things, in spite If their
| preoreupation with The war Great brit
| min is reported TO be appointing COM
missions RI the rate ri several q mouth
to collect information on various uues-
| fioua affecting the foreign trade ~ the
| pmnire after the war In the rehabiltn-
| tion II her ruined towns and Factories
| France ia improving The opportunity a.
| ipqtal bntter methods and better equip
| meni to facilitate after-uar production
| And Japan is cautiously playing n danger
| one hand with htr mind intent an the
| commercial struggle that IS hooked 20
follow pence
A glance ~ Tho legislation uov pond
| np in 'onprees shows that oitr own govern
| mont is not totally unaware of the need ~
| preparation for future cotnmrrrial epu-
petition The Webb bill permitting
exportcrs TO organize for fmeipn trade "a
nractica heretofore handicapped hv the
| sherman antitrust law is evidence If
THE In addition 70 II, there are the
proposal 80 establish Foreign Exchange
| nant under tho direction ~ the oderal
| Reserve Hoard tho Foreign Trade Marx
hill authorizing distinctive trade marks
far articles sent abroad. and n bill per
nitting maritime cities - declare fhru-
| selves FREQ norfa under conditions laid
| dnwn by tho Secretary ~ commerce
Tho department ~ Commerce. moro
over ia nov urging m appropriation ~
| stn0 600 fnr investigating opportunities
for forolgu tradc ~ tho Her Last h"
countries of Tho II, East have p pnpula-
tim nf about sol sn. .nn people or
about ~ rpr cent of The population of the
principal cou,iriee nf the vurld excluding
tbo snifcd Sfatcs While thnlr huyinQ
pov,rr pcr capita js nnf nuw as great rs
.h.t II ptin- America u will inrroasn
enornpusly after the var
Ihr ,aasihilttiee of this market cannot
bn avrrlooloa hv thoso interested ln
Annr,ret, fraelr expansion Great Britain
hps recently appointed several agents,
nndrr it, prp department q overseas
trq,lc Tor epeefal 'rair Investigations
- iho rar 80 wh'la 'hn lapfneso gov
rrpncnt ie taking every possible step to
nqfalheh and MAINTAIN q hold ~ eastorn
markets
CHINA is known ~ favor American
rorsls hrt ne vot American exporters erc
unian,ilinr wlfh hinreo markets In
lafG th4s oountrl contributed less fhen
( per ernf nf tho total go,.fls imported ~
sbr countries - fho Far East and q largo
portion ~ this nor cent won't r. the
Philippines Tho Department of orn-
tuer,o hctovrz that M time should
he wasted in creating division
far the ovtcnsion ~ American trade ~
| thr Ear Feet With faroo # thirt nen
mon - Washington including tho ch'of
~ thn rl,vislon ,ni two trade experts
| tvn earpn4ercfel agents nnr !" he sta
| TONED - San Francisco aud The other ~
Seattle and travelling efaf If - least
| pino trade commissioners 70 ho sent -
| thr east far drrcf Investigations
Officials a. thr DcI artnenf of Com
| nrrco believe that 10 the period dnectly
follavinu the Wy fho ehlrf international
co,npet,tion uil 30 in raw materials
| raiLrf fhan ~ markets There will he "a
trrnrudaus demand from dnnrstir mnF-
| lcts whIch nntious wll have fn supply
before the, ran start exporting on large
| sraIa II will ak the world several BPaTs
| 81 recover from the waste If raw materials
| orCasls,ned hv tho war frernlan textile
| mile fer example. vii have r. supply
thr t,,riunn peoplo wlfh great dcai of
Iofh before thpv start manufacturing Tor
foreign mnrketa
T., ati,,purf II tins throrv these afiloials
polnt =, the fact that Great Britain lS
nov cngaecd n ehecllng NJ The resources
af It's colonies. p,th a WOW ~ developing
| them "a rapidly as posaihe For IN
stance. "a commission IS u0w investigating
the u,irat,on ii Indian cotton. 80 de
termina how lta production can best he
stimulated and how much money would he
required for the proper development oi
thia staple
Japan. too - seeking sources OF raw
materials Chtna has the coal md IRON
that japan lacks. hence the recent tighten
lng of her grip on luna. Even the
I rFaf Uf.
tracted %ippon's attention At least, Il
- a,gn,feani that an exhiblt of raw ma
terials from the Dutch East Indies has
recently been held IN Japanese m
merieai museums institutions that have
grown M IN Japan since the war began
While raw materials will undoubtedly
play most important part IN the perloc
| of reconstruction immediately following
til, war. reports from Europe show tha
| every country Is expecting a period 81
keen competition for foreign trade. Eng
land "a making ~ secret Of the tact II
ene,ks alltr frankly about reeovcrln,
IL former commercial and tlnancla
supremacy. and If using ITS foreign trade
to get ont Of debt
10 this end the propaganda for IN
creased production and decreased con
sumption is already being cIrculate'
| throughout the utfcd Kingdom, Ever
n(ter tho war Is over il vii be the pa
tuotic dut> Of The }rllishcr 10 cconomize
so that large surplus OF manufactured
articles may be shipped abroad.
Meantime, an inventory Is being takel
III the nations industries under tn
ministry Of reconstruction, the mInIstr,
Of munitions. the department Of tn
foreign office and he board ol trade
Nearly hundred government committee
IN al are supposed 10 be collecting dat
concerning mining, agricultural, industria
and commercial conditions throughout tn
empire. One committee Is 20 report OF
the number Of Industries considered es
seutial 10 the future safety Of the nation
together with recommendations for main
tanning them. while another commission
is 10 report on the question Of divertin,
labor into commercial Industries when III,
war Is over.
4 commission known rs the financia
facilities commission is collecting informa
tinn on banking conditions with view
10 determining their adequacy to meet
unusual demands. and what emergency
facilities. if any. should be provided. Il
i also 10 report on the number Of shop.
and factories that will need financial AS
sistance from the government in trans
fcrring their working equipment from
war IL peace enterprise
4 special inventory IS also being taken
of articles for which there IS a demand IN
Great Britain, but which are not manu-