New-York tribune., 1918-01-20
rade the World
Over Moves in
New Channels
War Brings About Changing
Order in International
Merchandising
(Fvom The Americas. }


BUSINESS concerns in the United
o'aVes that are organizing extensively
tor after-war distribution of their
goods IN foreign markets or are inter.
ested as large manufacturing producers
IN carefully handled economies in OBJ
tanning supplies of foreign raw ma
.eii"'S VIII watch very closely in com
'ns months the further developments
-. wartime trade that are bringing con-
'-oeiaole changes in the ORGANIZATION
u international commerce. One mart
ol the machinery of internationa, 49,
'riDution that has an mnortar+ n,.oo
.a'eiully mada plans of Large imnor,
ana export business is the reavnort
organization of trade over tho u,or,d
wh'ch IS now undergoing great cbanoor
'"e 1ull extent of which cannot vet
be determined. Se'
'oods Rehandled Many Times
More than oOo,ooo,ooo worth W.,
ol all the commodities that ro,.,
around the world in commerce 49,
handled at least twice. going fror, ~ y
place Of production to some Of tbe M
great merchandising ports Of anothar
country, to be- reso.d there and
ported again to the country where -
Is consumed. In fact. hundrod.
mil1lons worth of goods and mater;a,s
are handled over and over oca:a.
appearing III several different oo,,.
'h'eS commerce before the nl+;,,a.
consumer buys them. 1t is feature -,
,'l'e' national business that few persons
N"o" more than a little about
a""one men who are engaged in evaa' sen
business, but no cornoration a.,porf
extensive trade abroad can do b,,s;, s,'
w'.mouD oelng affected by chanpa ;n
ieeNpol' metnods and connexions II
W. nat;e g Wy Important bearing upon orr
,r+,,oi,nl ,,,a,,,'e' trade, and even the smaIlcr
,bn;,. +'e [l u clS VINO are planning to Sc !
'iet goods abroad might Wo1 wa+cb
What Is going on because of the cb"n',an &c.,
III opportunity or handicap for thei,
wv" business that may cone about
Centres for Resxporting
NeeXport takes number OF forms
ana serves many different purposes in
hlghly organized production. vifh
!, VI Innate economies and trade. The
oRgcst tnlng IN reeXport trade is the
nerchailt- commerce that focused in
the English Channel and the North
sea before the war, in which London,
hamburg, Antwerp, Rotterdam Havre
ana other busy ports were not only
lhe gateWays Tor foreign imports con-
sumed inland and exports to foreign
countries OF manufactures that we're
produced IN the. country tributary to
them and shipped direct to customers
OUr were g3:sstt merchant cities, entire
YET markets, where the products Of
other countrES* gathered for re-
dlstflbUtlon around the world.
AhsiAnd hau merchant commerce
OF over half a billion do lars in other
nations goods. Germany, Holland and
Belgium were busy as trader" nations.
as well as manufacturers. But re-
rchandising is also carried on all
over the world. There is Hong KONG. .
tree port" where the produce of the
Ear East is gathered and whence the
products OF the West are distributed.
mere IS Singapore, which imports the
pfoducts OF a. the East Indies and ex-
r.. ~ 'ttNlii III Uulh. ana tne CONNER
elal details of the trade of New Zca-
land show that European goods oh
tanned from the Australian mercantile
astabhshments are redistributed to the
south Sea Islands in large quantity.
sometimes these goods had gone to
Australia as rcexports from England.
New Connections Being Made
EeeXport commerce is poino on oil,
over the world, even in the midst of
wartime conditions; but it is chanp
ing to new directions and new connec
uons, which may make great differ
ence III the ability Of nations to hold
thelr regular trade arrangements. 1t
Is gong TO make a great difference in
internatlonal merchandising if the
merchant marine of the world Is owned
BY different nations in different pro
portions after the war than before. and
the new tariff conditions and the nos
Slbie new national boundary lines that
are looked for will complicatc the
changes. If Europe comes out Of tbe
war with international rancor so per
Slstent that old cooperative methods Of
manufacturing, trading and transport
ing are impo sible, a new order in
world wide merchandising may be ex
pected