New-York tribune., 1918-11-23
Announcement of Aim to
Control Competition With
Allies Rouses Ire
Not an Official Body
Bulletin From Washington
Halts Plan to Extend
u. S. Commerce

A meeting of the Council on Foreign
Relations, of which Lindsay Russell is
chairman and Elihu Root honorary
chairman, was broken up in indigna-
ton yesterday by the reading of q
bulletin from the Federal Trade In
formation Service declaring it to be
the policy of the Administration to
maintain control of American foreign
trade and prevent it from competing
in world commerce with other nations
unit! the Allied nations had rebuilt
their foreign trade.
Members of the council had met at
the Lawyers Club to consider improve
mcnt cf means of communication be-
tween this country and Japan and
China with a view to facilitating COM
mercial intercourse. The Japanese Con-
sui General was present, as were Jap
anese business leaders. 1t had been
related that letters were arriving before
cable messages from Japan, and the
conferrees had about decided that a
new cable from Seattle to Yokohama
by way of the Aleutian Islands would
be the only remedy, when Allan Walk
er, manager of the foreign trade de-
partment of the Guaranty Trust Com
pany of New York, broke up the meet
ing by reading the following bulletin
from the Federal trade information
service:
"The President and the principal
officials of the government have prac-
tically definitely adopted the policy
that there shall be no drive for for
egn trade and for extension of
American foreign markets as a result
of the opportunities presented by
changed conditions resulting from
the war
''The position of the Administra-
part of the aid to be given tho Euro
pean nations in the matter of re-
Mobilization to refrain from seeking
to win the American foreign markets
which hitherto have belonged to the
Europeans. The United States must
permit these nations to recoup their
fortunes by rebuilding their foreign
trade without material interference
from American competition.
"To further this policy import and
export control will be continued for
l.I Wiki ,,,+1
changes are passing between Wash
ington and foreign capitals, and
American representatives abroad feel
that upon such a policy of retarded
expansion of American foreign trade
depends the speedy rehabilitation of
Europe and also the good will of this
nation in the future world market"
Those present listened in silence.
Then an angry buzzing Of low-voiced
conversation arose and the conferrees
got their hats and coats and departed.
f. Kngsbury Curtis, chairman of the
councils committee on overseas COM
presided at the meeting.
Others present were:
Lindsay Russell, president of the
Japan Society; C. Yada, Consul General
of Japan; Frank N. Doubleday, of Dou-
hlcday, Page & Co.; |. Hamaoka, Bank
Of Japan; K. II. Kamei, Nippon Yusen
Kaisha; X. Fukushima, Kuhara Mining
Company; H. Arai, Morimura, Arai &
Co.; H. K Tetsuka, Morimura Brothers; ;
Mr.. Sakai, Mitsui & Co., Ltd; Mark 0.
Prentiss; Richard Washburn Child;
S. Imamura, Sumitomo Bank, Ltd; S.
Mutch, Bank of Taiwan; r. Ichinomiya,
Yokohama Specie Bank, Ltd; Y. Mural,
Morimura Brothers; S. Yamamura, Nit
subsh Company5 Douglas L. Dunbar;
Eugene C.. Worden, secretary.