The Washington herald., 1918-12-09
FRENCH PLACE
COPPER Order
100000 Tons Of Meta
Sought by Mission
for 1919.


An excellent illustration Of a NUN
Der OF recent attempts 10 approsrh
with good understanding. readjust.
ment conditions can be furnished b.
the recent visit OF representativ OF
French Industrial life 10 the United
States. These men came with intsni
10 learn from the leader OF the COD,
per industry OF the United states
whether IL would be possible to secur,
within the year 1919 at least 5000
tons OF copper for France. That o.
ltself Is an enormous order. or woUie
be were II possible 10 place Il At thu
time. But many questions arose whils
discussions were under way between
these men Of France and the copper.
leaders and none OF these was an.
swered. The situation was vAsue: n
Is what business men sometimes cal
up IN the air" OF course. the COP
per leaders would be glad TO sell te
responsible persons or orgsniza tiouf
10000 tons OF copper. At the presess
price per pound for copper a sale OF
that kind would involve a large sum
OF money.
Nevertheless Il was impossible clear.
ly to forecast conditions whereby sat
isfactory contracts could be entered
into for the purchase and sale OF this
copper That is a state OF Affairs. N
TINS early readjustment season, which
undoubtedly reflects the experience OF
the contemplation Of the industrial
leaders OF the United States. SO fsr,.
readjustment conditions are ooneern.
ed.
Price-RiKins Factors. ---
What are you going to ask for
copper? these French men Of IEfrs
affairs intimated they would Ike te
know. and the reply was. I'VE cannot
zen. There are four factors which
go FAR 10 estab blish the price for each
pound Of copper. One. and the most
/ important, is labor. We cannot tell
at present what the readjustrnent Of
wages in the copper industry is to be.
Another is fuel. coal or oil OIL Ger
talniy will not decrease in price. ana
PROBABLY coal will not A third factor
is explosives. and the chances are
that the price for this important fac.
4 Tor IN the copper industry will be re-
duced. Another factor is timber and
the chances are the price Of that NAV
be reduced. There are other factor,
which must be understood IL the prtos
or copper is to be a reasonable one.
But no one knows at this time what
the cost Of these commodities 1.
hereafter to be and therefore no one
can fX the price for copper
Then, after thus discussing tbes,
/ points, the copper leaders found IL
/ worth while TO suggest that tbsrs
might arise a question relating TO the
manner in which payments are TO D.
/ made or the financing be established
| oy which so large an amount as aO0.nno
tons OF copper Is to be paid for There
| seemed 10 be clear intimation that
| Tor a transaction OF this kind the
leaders In the copper industry would
| prefer that il should be an scknovrI-
edged and responsible government
! transaction rather than one which
represented mere syndicate buying Of
copper by French industrial com
pany.
Ask About Finances.
Then again there is the important
question OF securing the funds with
which this copper. Il bought. could be
paid for, or in other words the rnanc-
ing OF the transaction which will in
yoiVe millions OF dollars. Is the United
States to extend another credit 10
France in order that the need Of cop
per in France may be satisfactorily
met? Is the French government in
position with its own resources To
finance a transa CtiOn OF this magni-
tude2 So they went on discussing this
momentoUs business proposition in q
friendly way. bit made no advance.
Very likely hereafter communications
will come from France. which may
lead 10 the marketing in that country
Of 10000 tons Of copper.
I
eign industries are TO be made 10
American industries but until there
can be knowledge Of readjusturent
conditions in this country such as
wages. the cost OF material. etc. as
well as financing. II is not likely that
any considerable dealings Of this kind
will be perfected at least for some
months
Nevertheless the copper leaders
whose industry is now one OF the
greatest. not only in the United States
but in the world. are looking forward
with confidence 10 activity and pros
peTity throughout the year 1915. .-ElaIs
morning one OF these leaders said. 1T
makes no difference TO US what hap
pens in the next ninety days. for we
are certain that nothing can happen
which will tend to impair our in
dustry. We look for a year OF great
prosperity and great activity begin
ming on January ! next"
Approach American Leaders.
| In addition TO France, industrial
| leaders or representatives Of govern
ments will approach the United States
l1n the hope that the enormous amount
Of copper which Europe. now partially
devastated. will need can be secured
upon satisfactory terms. The copper
leaders say that Germany will be In
= desperate need Of copper. But the
wonder is how the manufacturers OF
Germany and whatever government
there may be can secure funds with
which to pay for copper. One OF the
leaders said this morning that IL Ger
many's industrial demands were met
by the copper industry OF the United
States IL is likely that Germany would
be found 10 have absorbed a larger
amount OF American copper than
> France OF any other nation. although
the demands OF these nations will be
, very large.
The feeling is strong that readjust-
ment should not be- undUly hastened :