The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-02-15
GETTING READY FOR
TRADE AFTER WAR
BY HOLLAND

BY HOLLAND
New York, February 14-(Special.) lin
a recent issue of the Wall Street Jour
nal is contained quotation from a
business man who is of excellent judg-
ment and authority. in which the asser-
ton is made that those who are reckon
ing upon an enormous sale of steel and
iron products to Great Britain and to
other European countries after the war
is ended are in error in that view.
For it is asserted that Great Britain.
Canada and Germany have greatly en-
larged, Notwithstanding the war, their
steel producing capacity, and have in adj
dition learned economy and efficiency.
Furthermore. the Wall Street Journal
says that the prevailing opinion that
after the war is ended we shall be found
leading the world in our exports of steel
and iron products is not taken seriously
by steel men who have watched the de-
velopment of the steel industry since the
beginning of the war. One of the rea-
sons given by the authority which the
newspaper quotes for his belief that Eu-
ropean countries will not buy heavily of
steel and iron from the United States
after the war, is to be found in the
fact that these countries will be debtor
nation possibly by as much as 800, 600
after the war is ended. and they GER
tainly will owe the United States many
millions-in fact, do now.
Therefore, they will not be disposed to
increase their Indebtedness by making
heavy purchases of steel and iron In the
United States. Instead of that, the man
ufacturers will strain themselves to the
utmost to command the greater part OF
the steel and iron trade of the world
For in that way they will be able to
secure some part of the funds in which
they may meet their obligations. They
will make a great drive against the
| United States; they will attempt sue
cessfully to compete in our own markets
with American iron and steel manufac-
| turers. They will rely to some extent
for success upon the high cost of steel
and iron in the United States, due chiefly.
| to the wages and salaries which are
paid to the artisans
| Undoubtedly the view set forth by this
authority is the one taken by the leaders
| of the steel and iron industry and vet
with a mental reservation. These lead
| ciS DtlltN0 lHdt We Cdil llOlQ anu increase
our world trade in steel and iron prod
ucts. Notwithstanding the high cost of
labor, if there be satisfactory legislation,
part of it so enacted as to prevent the
dumping into the United States of steel
and iron products and part of it so en-
acted as to enable us with facility and
at reasonably low cost to approach the
markets of the world.
| PREPARING FOR PEACE
| On the office wall of one of the high
executive officers of the United states
Steel corporation is conspcuously placed
| a legend in these words: I'm time of war,
we should prepare for peacev' Undoubt-
eddy the managers of the Steel corpor-
alton and in fact the managers of all
the independent steel and iron industries
of the United States. are now as far as
possible preparing for conditions which
will arise Immediately after the war is
ended. They hope to secure the passage
of an act which will enable steel and
iron manufacturers. who are exporters.
to act in cooperation and in combina-
/ tion SO far as foregn markets are con-
| cerned. Action of that kind was one of
the reasons why Germany. was able to
lsecure rapidly a considerable share of
the worlds trade in the iron and steel
4 products. Then again these industrial
i leaders hope that after the war is ended
tffhey VIII have available il large amount
1 Of ships Lack Of shipping facilities was
one of the reasons why the iron and
steel makers of the United States were
mot able always to compete with the
i Germans and the English manufacturers
iof iron and steel.
Then again it is the hope that legisla-
ton will be enacted which will modify
the existing antitrust laws. For If, fol
instance. the United States Steel corpor.
alton should be dissolved through the
Judgment of the supreme court upon the
action now pending, then it is inevitable
that the United States will lose large
i part of her exports of iron and stee
products.
| Apparently the managers of the iror
and steel industries do not now contem
plate entering the markets of Grea'
Britain or of Germany with their prod
ucts after the war. They do believe thai
France and Belgium, If Belgium is quick.
lened, will become heavy purchasers Of
American iron and steel products, pro
vided conditions are favorable as we'll al
II legislation. They look for great mar
kets in South America and in the fal
east and If they are not handicapped b,
unfavorable conditions or by stringent
legislation they believe that they will
be able to meet whatever competition
lGreat Britain or Germany, should Ger
many try to compete, may offer in thu
South American and far eastern mar
4 kets. They are not concerned about tn,
high cost of labor for they believe thi,
i is offset by the greater productive ca
pacity of highly paid labor by the utili
"a ton of the best labor-saving machin
4 cry, by the employment of highly compe
tent men of science and also by ou
favorable situation with respect to Goa
and iron deposits.
This is the contingency which the In
dustrial leaders, whose achievement,
since the war began in iron and stee
Il commodities have been marvellous, hole
y In reserve while they are disposed t,
1 admit that Great Britain and the Euro
pean nations will not only refrain from
purchasing American iron and steel, bu
h will also attempt to dump enormous
samounts of these commodities into tn,
United States. The British manufactur
ers may be able to do, this unless on
own manufacturers are favored by leg
is1ation and are aided by such facilitie
as for instance the proposed foreign
commerce bank would offer. Given fairl,
y even conditions. the American manufac
/. turers believe that they cannot only hol,
the trade they have already secured, Blu
can increase it.ano matter what compe
tition Great Britain and Germany ma.
offer.
Camp Pike Discharges
LITTLE Rock FebrIarv 1A-(SnociaI