The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-02-08

war purposes and for business auto
mobiles. Pleasure cars admittedly
ought to be reduced. Everybody has
been advocating il, but there hasn't
been anyone who wanted to take the
responsibility Of doing 1t. The hour
for such drastic decisions Is at hand.
And IL the import OF rubber Is limited,
the Government may have to assist
in fixing the price thereof. As Presl-
dent Wilson made clear In his mes
sage TO Congress, It win do little
good to nx the price Of wheat and q
few articles OF necessity II prices are
permitted to soar, IN products. which
viii take all OF the laboring mans In
come to buy.
But price-hxing is another matter.
LuxuFies may go up in price. due TO
the scarcity resulting from the export
or import embarEoes, but II they 80
too high the American people either
viii not buy them or viii use substi-
tutes.
The proclamation that Is being pre-
pared win affect all countries alike,
but II II more likely to shut down
on Pacific than on Atlantic trade, for
on the latter see are being transported
mostly. war munitions. Yet, even to
Great Britain and France, there will
be no export except under licenses
guaranteed by the foreign govern
ments to be needed for the prosecu-
tion OF the war
A mahogany factory in England. for
Instance. that does not mike aeroplane
propellers would be on the same foot
ing As such q nrn In the United States.
II couldn't use OCEAN tonnage for export
or import. England has already made
up a llsA and America Is following
closely in the footsteps Of her allies.
II Is the outgruFth Of the coordination
determined upon at the Inter-alIied con
ference at Paris attended By Vance
Mccormick of our own War Trade
Board.
May Affect japan.
Unfortunately for Japan. some Of
her rich trade. in luxurious silks may
be affected because. the United States
win not want to give any space on
ner railroads 70 the shipments Of silks
TO interior points. japanese ships
may ind II more prohtabIe to engage
In trade perhaps with other allied
countries to the detrimoat of the
United States, but America must ex-
poet. loases a. well a. eompensations
to now from the northeontng proclAr
nation.
Again, there may be q plentiful
supply OF q product, say copper ore In
the United states, but It may have
been cheaper for some flrms to I'M
port IL from South America But II
isn't more economical for the United
States as q whole to have tonnage
uBsd for transporting copper ore of
which enough may be available In
this country when the same ships
could be thereby forced. to bring into
the United States artielesirealiy need
ed. but which Il hasn't been possible
for the South American shipper to ex-
port because Of q lack OF tonnage.
This WIN incidentally enable
America to carry out more extens-
lively her blaeklist measures against
nrms OF German afflietion. II win
show Germany that some practical
things are being done now to destroy
German trade and may conceiVably be
continued n the German people DO
not set up q Government that the
whole world win trust both A. a
and a business partner.
krother advantage lies in the cutting
OF from neutrals Of articles not
needed for the sustenance OF life, but
FOR ornament or local trades.
Anything that doesn't tend to help
the allies make war whether Il Is
going to neutra1s or coming from
neutraIs, whether II IL being export
ed or imported from this country,
will be kept from tia oceans by the
combined action of Great Britain,
France, and the United States It Is
a worldwide embargo on non-essen-
tials-one OF the most effective
measures that could be taken to
bring victory this. year.