The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-04-18
WENT TO WAR
TOSELL GOODS
Germany Sought Domino
ton of the Worlds
Markets
AND GAIN CONTROL
OF RAW SUPPLIES
u. S. Department of Com
merce Publishes Report
of Its Findings

Washington, d. C., April u.s. Germany
started the war TO establish domination
of the worlds markets for her manufac.
tured goods and To gain a stronger con
troll OF the sources of raw supplies, says
report by the department of commerce
made public last night. The report is
the result of detailed investigation of
German political, industrial and CONNER
cal activities before and after the out
break of the war, conducted by Chauneey
d. Snow, assistant chief of the bureau
of foreign and domestic commerce, who
was engaged in industrial studies in Ger
many when hostilities began. The fail.
ure of these commercial aims already is
apparent, says the report, and German
industrial efficiency has deteriorated ma
terially.
'Therc has been serious bungling in
high places, profiteering, gross misman
agcmcnt and intense dissatisfaction
among the working classes" it says.
stocks of materials have been used up, |
substitutes have failed to satisfy, equip. |
ment has deteriorated, and some indus. |
tries have profited greatly by the war at |
the expense of efficiency for peace times"
Germanys problem as viewed by her
rulers was TO overcome the limitations |
of German territory and the restrictions
of our climatic conditions, in connection |
with its increasing and more refined re.
quirements."
As phrased in the report, Germany
expected as a result of the
war to get huge indemnities. which, like
the great indemnity exacted from France
in 1871, would pay the bill of war and
clear the way for uninterrupted, unparal-
leled strides, leaps and bounds in indus
try and trade Germany unquestionably
counted on crippling the resources and
powers of her chief European
competitors"
When Germany on the close of hostil-
ties enters the race for commercial SUI
Dremacy, she will be handicapped. says
The report. by the fact that she win have
rs rivals Is nations which actually have
been at war with her, and tine more
which severed diplomatic relations.
Commercial treaties with the advsn
ages all on the German side viii be hard
o negotiate" is the opinion expressed in
he report. "It will be a rare country
where Germany may dominate trade in
lustry. shipping and finance without To-
al realization and opposition,
Owing TO the uncertainties of war,
most of the measures for re-entering
oreign trade are still in the stage OF dis.
ussion, only few having received leg
slative sanction Many of the indus.
ries have been syndicated or consoli
ated; an imperial ministry of economic
fairs has been created; subsidies have
cen voted to rehabilitate the merchant
marine; steps have been taken to pro
lote the expectation of German goods
nder the guise OF neutral products.
The loss OF capital during the war,
he lack of ship space, and the difficulty
obtaining foreign credits and means
payment for the imports of raw ma
erials and foodstuffs are regarded in
ermany as the principal obstacles to
)eedy rebuilding of the foreign trade.
he low exchange value of the mark will
lforce economy in importation, and the
ate will be obliged to interfere not be -
luse it has become Socalistic but be-
Iuse it will have no other choice +
"In spite of all the obstacles that will
nfront the Germans, however, it will
well to bear in mind the fact, as
,inted out by the eminent Italian law r
n, Eucardio Momigliano, that there is
ed of preparing for defense in order
at German business may not continue
! old methods of quiet penetration in
e country after another
president Wilson has advocated the "
rmation of an association of nations to
axe the world safe, but in doing so he nc
$ stated that it may be necessary to dc
ave Germany without the benefits of sa
e free economic intercourse which must 7.
spring out of the partnerships
real peace, Apart from questions of WI
vernmental policy, there is clear duty wa
sting on American business men in.
sidually to keep their eyes open to Il,
rman competition in whatever form it 70
nv come The American government, on
concert with the governments of the -
her great nations, viii see to it that NJ;
rmany, as a government, shall hence 81
-th operate in the open. American III
siness men, like business men in the me
her great countries, must likewise see 81,
it that all operations of German trade 81,
terprises shall take place in the open suI
d bear clear indication of having -,
an made i'm C,armanV ~ 49,