South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-09-18
WAR TRADE BOARD
! CUTS ENEMY DIET
Quietly But Effectively Rem
derS Invaluable Aid to
Soldiers in Field.

The war trade board, even If COM
paratively unknown except to i'm
porters, exporters and shipping men
and be sure they they know it
very wells a very important
member Of Uncle Sans official fam
fly at the present time, and becOm-
ing ever more important, says c. h.
Cloudy. in the Scientific American.
The war trade board was estab-
lished by executive order under the
trading with the enemy act on Oct.
u, 1917. II was a successor to or
evolution from the division OF eX-
port licenses of the department Of
! commerce. which. prior TO Aug. 81,
1917, controlled exports under the
act OF June / 3, 1917. and of the ex-
] ports administrative board formed
/ by executive order Of Aug. 21. and
which continued IN existence until
oct Il, 1917. Both of these organ
| izations dealt solely with exports.
/ The war trade board, however. con-
trolls both export and import trade
| during the war. and also exercises
| certain functions under the trading
! with the enemy act.
| The board includes representative
| OF various government departments,
| thus acting as a clearing house of
ideas of the departments represent
] ed It's chairman represents the
! secretary Of state. other members
/ of the board are accredited TO the
| treasury. agricultural and com
merce departments, the food admin
/ istration and the shipping board.
Thus it gets all viewpoints.
/ Controls Commodities.
Under two proclamations by the
/ president. dated Feb. Il. 1918. all
! commodities in our foreign trade
are submitted 10 the license control
| of the war trade board Previously.
the export and import control was
1 applied only to a limited list of
/ commodities; but now. owing 20 the
military and tonnage situation. moth
ing may be exported from the United
I States, or imported into it, without
a license. transportation OF our
/ armies TO France and maintenance
of "A flow OF supplies 10 support
/ there required the use Of every ton
I Of shipping which can possibly be
I had even if il becomes necessary to
curtail exports or imports The lin
itation OF exports is necessary also
to conserve our products for use of
/ ourselves and our allies. and TO dis
/ pose of our surplus 10 aid those
countries To the south which depend
upon us, and in such a way that
/ Germany and her allies may derive
no benefit therefrOm. Having con-
troll OF the export Of our surplus.
the board is in a position to secure
+, from favored countries shipping and
supplies urgently needed.
The war trade board has stated
very plainly that these two procla-
nations do not mean an embargo
ON exports or a prohibition of inn
ports. but a power TO regulate, exer-
cised with the single purpose of win
ming the war. Every effort will be
made to avoid unnecessary interfer-
eacC with our foreign trade, sand 10
! impose upon our exporters and i'm
/ pcrters no restrictions except those
| involved in the accomplishment of
/ definite and necessary objects
Curtails German Exports.
Combating German trade and
cutting off all possible exports into
| Germany and her associates con
tinues relentlessly, but without at
tempts TO attract public notice. What
has been accomplished is manifest
I'd in the steadily restricted diet Of
I the German civilian and his allies,
| ir the lack OF raw materials urgent
/ ly needed by the central empire for
munitions and the maintenance Of
THEW armed force. and in the easily
/ apparent economic desperation Of
the central governments. The Ger
man bread ration is now 5 per cent
below the point at which il has
been maintained for many months.
and which was then considered in
adequate properly TO maintain the
! strength Of the German working
classes. Their butter ration has
4 been reduced 10 p grams Cslightlv
over the weight of an ordinary let
teri. German cattle have been
slaughtered so they no longer main
tain the half-pound weekly ration Of
[ meat for civilians. As a result. the
/ productive ability OF the German
workmen has been reduced from %
TO 90 per cent due TO the success Of
our war trade policy, steadily and
/ relentlessly enforced.
Cooperating with the allies. this
| country through the war trade
board. is also combating the Ger
man trader and the German propa-
gandist wherever he is endeavorine
4 to maintain a footing i'm neutral
countries 20 the disadvantage of the
! United States and its associates in