New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-08-11
Raw Materials Germany's Vital
Need for Economic Recovery
Determination to Obtain Manufacturing Supplies Is the
First Aim of Teutonic Statesmen and Business
Men in Reconstruction Preparations
(Frona The British Board Of Trade JournaD
A N ECONOMIC recovery after the

NpTo"A 1He BRUSH bOUTd OF Trudc JotNndk)
A N ECONOMIC recovery after the
~ war can only be effected, in
the opinion Of German states
men and business men, by the rapid
acquisition by Germany of essential
raw materials. Access to the raw ma
terials of the world is, therefore, the
first and most determined aim Of Ger
many's present reconstruction prepara-
tions. The grouping, amalgamati and
consolidation of the greater industries
under central control and the founda-
ton of import and export companies
are being undertaken in the first in
stance in order to speed up and facili-
tate the buying Of raw materials, and,
ultimately. to provide an organization
for mass and, wherever possible, stand
ardized production.
Whatever can be done by internal
organization is consequently being done
at the present time in Germany. 1t is,
however, generally acknowledged that
the extent to which Germany will sue
coed in acquiring raw materials cannot
be known until the conditions of peace
are known. An interesting summary Of
the German attitude toward the eco
nomic problem is contained in recent
issue Of "Der Welthandel," which gives
the following view expressed by the
business community of Bremen:
After the war Germany would need, first
and foremost, material for spinning, hides
and skins. high-Rrade ores, rubber, timber
for shipbuilding and furniture making, OIL
producing plants, animal fats, fodder.
fertilizers. coffee, cocoa, tea, tobacco and
precious metals. While before the war
these things were in part drawn from
Germanys African and South Sea col
cnies, the country's supply of staple ar
tcles, which must be regarded as serving
to regulate exchange. came from sources
hostile, e. g.. cotton and tobacco from
America, coffee and tobacco from Brazil,
wool from Australia and British South
Africa, and oil-producng kernels from
English and French West African colonies.
Commerce, imports, manufacturing in
dustries. exports. shipping, banks and in
surance companies all depend the pos
sibilities afforded to German enterprise by
the peace conditions. and every dfferentia-
ton to its detriment and any withholding
of raw material must be prejudicial to its
power of competition. The present war is
raw material war" in the widest sense
of the term, and should the peace not be
such as Germany desires Germany will
have to export men instead of goods, as it
did few decades ago. 1t is therefore
necessary that proportion of raw ma
terials corresponding to the importance of
its industries should be assured to Ger
many. for it must not be forgotten that
since the outbreak of war Germany has
been forced to dispense with thousands Of
articles which it drew from overseas
That Germany has the means of forcing.
its opponents to grant it equality of eco
nomic rights is obvious when it is remem-
bered that America requires German phos-
pilates for its agriculture. German chemi-
Gals and dyes, medicines. orthopedic and
surgical instruments. Solingen STEEL ETC.,
all OF which, however. are not really an
equivalent for cotton, wood. copper and
the like.