New-York tribune., 1918-05-03
Dr.. Pratt Says Commercial
War Is as Important as
Military Action
Cotton Men Urged
To Enter Boycott
Speaker Declares Laxity at
Home Menaces Sol
diers' Lives

"German business concerns are still
arriving in this country-wipe them
cut"
+ American cotton manufacturers
we're asked to help do the "wiping
outD by Dr.. Edward Ewing Pratt
,peaking yesterday at the joint con-
x.u.ion of the National Association of
Cotton Manufacturers and the Amer-
an Cotton Manufacturers Associa-
s;on at the Biltmore Hotel. DR.. Pratt
n yice-president of the Pacific Com
mercial Company and formerly was
rAief Of the Bureau of Foreign and
Domestic Commerce.
!, Or. Pratt stated that the German
military party, which wanted terri
sorisl expansion, and the German com
nercal, industrial and financial party,
vhich wanted world trade domination,
sere. in 1914, not attaining their am
btions fast enough to suit them, so
they started this war as a short cut
70 the realization of their dreams.
The United States was making war
On the German military party; Ameri-
ran boys were now dying in it. said
Dr. Pratt, adding that this country
had not yet begun really to fight the
concerns were virtually doing business
here the same as usual, he declared.
Must Fight Trade Faction
Dr. Pratt predicted that this coun-
try's failure to fight the German COM
mercial faction, as we'll as the mill
tay crowd, would lengthen the war,
and in the end cost the lives of hun
dreds of thousands of American SOL
diers.
even after year of war German
concerns are permitted to exist and
DO business in this country" said DR..
Pratt. "Some of them have been sub
.jected to thin coat of whitewash ad-
ministered by the Custodian of Alien
Property.
"But their business organizations
still exist; they continue German in
sentiment and in personnel. And they
will be ready to go out in behalf of
Germany as soon as the war is over,
il, indeed, they are not doing it now.
aThere is no excuse for such laxity
in the administration of our laws.
Enemy concerns should be wiped out.
The installation of representative of
the alien property custodian is not
enough. The affairs of every German
concern should be wound up, and the
property sold outright to Americans.
More important still. the present Ger
man organizations should be replaced
VITA American organizations.
Dye Trade an Example
! have only to point to the dye
business, and to ask if the German
distributors are out of business. Or
are they holding on for grim death,
hoping for the end of the war, when
1ney can stife Americas young and
growing dye industry?
un!y last week a German concern,
now changed in name, offered a New
,olk concern some dyestuffs under
their own-the German-trade name.
Mny, l ask the alien property custo-
oian, have firms, once completely Ger
man, still openly SO, and even now
endeayoring to preserve German trade
interests, been permitted to go on and
20 business? Why has the alien prop
ery custodian permitted the change of
name to purify a German concern
reeklng with plans to further German
uade interests now and after the war
IN Germany neither the military
parsy nor the commercial party can
succeed without the other. Their am
oit'cns are different, but their means
are the same-this great war.
II Is just as important that we make
sr on one as the other. Put yourself
y the position of the director of the
veutsche Bank, the Hamburg American
Ar q Il r.
mows that his commercial organiza-
non still is intact in America, ready to
enable him quickly to reestablish him
SELF here.
Strong Weapon Left Idle
II we can impress on the German
sommercial party the fact that German
.fade machinery is completely and
aennitely destroyed we can withdraw
. q very large extent the commercial
nrty's support Of the military party.
The worst of it is that there seems
De little realization in Washington
y The tremendous offensive weapon
nat we have at hand, but which lies
mnsed-the trade war.
II is the duty Of our government
the duty of American business
Isn-fo 4. annihilate German trade ma
;alnery wherever it exists. Every day
= permitted to continue to exist
suos to the length of the war-adds
me sacrifices that our boys will have
MAKE make On the field of battle"
uhDert H. Montague. New York
syer, discussed the Webb Pomerene
es 1t is expected to affect future
VIC cotton trade. Under this act the
son manufacturers, by pooling their
o.ttatlons. would be able to sell in
.gn markets as low as at home. Mr..
- sSsague said that not only would the
aave this effect, but itswould prove
AZ ssns OF rehabilitating Europe after
sasaking on "Foreign Trade After
nar, Frank W. Taussig, chairman
ne United States Tariff Commis-
= the trade rivalry after the war
III country must depend mainly upon
effectiveness of its industry for
III Promotion Of its foreign trade.
~ ve must be in position to pre-
our goods being headed of
sssn discrimination in favor Of
Djector Loses Soft Job