Evening star., 1918-11-23
Winning OF WORLD
TRADE NOW CALLS
AMERICA TO ACTION
Cooperative Effort Will Be
Made in Meeting New Con-
ditions Abroad.
WEBB-POMERENELAW
GIVES FIGHTING POWER
Government and Trade Bodies Are
Enlisted to Uphold Nation as
Competition Becomes Keen.
BY WILL p. KENNEDY,


BY WILL r. KENNEDY.
Just as, through forty-two service
committees, representing various in
dustries. sanctioned and encouraged
by the Chamber of Commerce of the
United States. the business men of
this country pooled their resources
and enterprise in cooperation with
the War Industries Board to win the
war, SO they are today organizing for
cooperative. concerted. national ef-
fort to capture the world markets.
With the approval and encourage
ment of the President, the Congress,
the Department of Commerce. the
Federal Trade Commission. the Cham
Der of Commerce of the United
States. the War Industries Board and
other federal as well as business or
| ganizations. the various industries of
| the country are continuing their war
service committees or reorganizing
| postwar trade associations through
| which foreign trade can be profitably.
| economically and stably sought in q
big way.
Desperate Conditions Abroad.
The United States never before had
to go after the worlds trade, but
| now, with foreign nations in a des-
| perate economic condition. where
cheap labor is imperative. price-cut-
ting and keen competition in COM
merce are inevitable, and the United
States is going after this task just
as she tackles every big problem,
whole-heartedly. resourcefully, per-
sistently and successfully.
The Webb-Pomerene law, approved
| onaA April 10 of this year. framed after
| the Federal Trade Commission by
authority. in its organic act. had in
vestigated foreign trade and recon-
mended to Congress such legislation.
! and advocated by President Wilson in
| a message to Congress on December
! S, 1916, for the first time gives the
American business interests a chance
| to invade the foreign markets on
| equal fighting terms with Germany
and the other nations.
With certain specific restrictions
and qualifications it provides that:
Nothing contained in the Sherman
antitrust law of 1880 shall be con-
strued as declaring to be illegal an
association entered into for the sole
| purpose of engaging in export trade,
| and actually engaged solely in such
| export trade, or an agreement made
or act done in the course of export
| trade by such association, provided
| such association, agreement or act is
not in restraint of trade within the
United States, and Is not in restraint
of the export trade of any domestic
competitor of such association
| Fullest use of the opportunity Offer
ed under this law by the business cor
| Germs of the United States was re-
Gently advocated by Burwell S. Cutlet.
chief of the bureau of foreign ara
domestic commerce, and by John
Walsh, chief counsel of the Fedora
| Trade Commission, in addressing or
ganizations of exporters and manu-
| facturers who were in conferences
regarding the foreign trade outlook.
Conferences Called Here.
| The War Industries Board. which
has had to hold many industries in
check during the war on account OF
shortage of shipping. is now encour-
| aging and Offering the assistance or
| its various sections toward the for
nation of trade associations to seek
the largest trade in the foreign mar
, kets Bernard NJ. Baruch has JUS.
announced that all of the forty-two
war service committees Will be m
| yited to conferences in Washingtpf
within the next week or ten days.
| and at these conferences the future -cf
the respective industries as regards
foreign trade will be discussed.
The Chamber of Commerce Of the
United States has called monster
reconstruction conference at Atlantic
City. December 3, and 5. when the
| prospects for expanded foreign trade
will be a chief theme for discussion
by the real leaders In official and In
dustrial life.
The United States bureau of foreien
and domestic commerce has sent trade
diplomats into the world markets to
make surveys of value to American
business interests.
Frank H. Vanderlip of New York
has invited some Of the captains of
industry to a conference with him in
New York on Monday in regard to
the export trade situation. AS presi
dent of the National City Bank. New
York. which was the first financial in
south America, where Germany had
built up her trade (and politicaD
domination through a chain OF eN-
changes, whatever Mr.. Vanderiip
proposes to the business interests Will
be big and broad-gauged: Some Of
the most prominent men in the War
Industries Board. the War Trade
Board, the shipping board. the Coun-
Gil of National Defense. the Federal
Trade Commission and other federal
establishments will be at that con-
ference.
Propose Cooperative Agencies.
The system Of cartels operated for
many years by Germany must be met
by cooperative buying and selling
| 0encies for the United Statesc pro-
| ducers and consumers. officials and
business leaders contend.
Senator Duncan U. Fletcher. chair-
man of the Senate commerce commit
tee. who is the foster-father OF the
/ great American merchant marine, in
| recent speeches has called attention
to the fact that France. Belgium and
other nations have for the last siS
months been organizing what they
cali "co-operative endeavor. Boilef
down. this really means that the en-
tire nation is uniting on one indivfd>
nal to buy or sell particular COM
| modify. SO that all the steel sold to
4 France would be sold through that
Senator Fletcher gave a particular
example of how this same system can
be operated under the Webb bill by
American Industries. Last week he
1 addressed a conference Of phosphate
minors in Tampa, Fla, who represent
al per cent of all the phosphate mined
| in the United States and 80 per cert
Of the world supply. He told thsm