New-York tribune., 1918-12-19
Where Is Our Leadership?

ated Press dispatches from abroad, tinan-
cial and business problems of great mo-
ment may come before the peace confer
ence- These are questions quite outside
If political matters or national rivalries. /
They deal with concrete situations Take, /
for example, the question of wheat Ii
the American wheat crop turns out as
weIl as it now promises it may mean, un-
der the governments irrevocable contract
With the farmers, that this country viii
be responsible for something like two and
a half billions of dollars worth Of wheat
1t is not SO generally known that the
English government has likewise guaran-
iced the wheat price to British farmers;
80 it also is deeply interested We shall
have e large surplus But IN Europe
there may be a great deficit 1t Will
make tremendous difference to hun
dred millions of our allies in the war
whether those who want wheat may bid
freely for the American surplus.
In yesterdays Journal Of Commerce
there was a lengthy article as to foreign
inquiries for quite amazing quantities of
stored foods So great is the demand
that there is said now to be no prospect
for any reduction In food prices this sea-
son, although butter eggs and many
other articles are now higher than at any
time during the war. So, n different
ways, with copper and cotton. Germany
was the second largest buyer Of our cot
ton abroad. Shall Germany have cotton
freely now? If so, on what terms? Even
present prospects of the needs of our al
lies keep cotton at high figure. There
are equal problems in our surplus Of oil,
our surplus of steel and iron products
and manufactures, our meat supplies, our
exports of phosphates and many other
things.
The proposal has been made, and now
seems near consummation, that Mr..
Hoover shall be made an international
director of food supplies, which will mean
that he will have more or less power to
allocate the surplus stocks of wheat
meat, fats and other things needed by the
Allies.
Now the suggestion is broached that
there shall be the same international con-
troll of raw materials. In this the United
States would be most deeply interested,
for we are the largest exporters of raw
materials in the world.
England, France, Italy and the other
countries will have at the peace board
not merely their political leaders but
their ablest fsnancers and business men
as we'll. Our government is virtual
stranger to business. The French and
English governments are not
Before the war not only the business
men and the capital of this country but
Of other countries had to meet the concen
trated competition of unparalleled o.
syndicated capital, as represented by Ger
many. This was part of the pervasiv,
German penetration" whose programme
had so much to do with precipitating tn
war. We want no more of this now, or
if other governments are to "get back o
business" this country will be forced t
some kind of defensive measures or
will have but a narrow place in the mar
zets of the world. If these matters com
before the peace board or are to be mad
part of European understandings ou
interests at the conference will be far to
great to be left to the judgment or es
perence of politicians and statesme
alone.
Even in our brief experience in the wa
we learned to know that it was not cor
trary to national interests that some
our ablest business men should take a
intimate part in the governments prt
gramme So men like Mr. Ryan, M
Stettinus, Mr.. Schwab, Mr. Replogl
Mr.. Baruch and others were invited |
important posts. If there is now to
discussion of important trade arrang
ments, in which the United States is
take part, it would seem equally impo
tant that men of this calibre and exper
ence should be in Paris, in active partio
patton in the discussions. Mr. Lansin
Mr.. Henry White and General Task
Bliss have no acquaintance with busine
and financial affairs. Even that of Col
mel House is actually very slight.
The United States government has {
ready loaned the Allies something Iii
eight billions ard our bankers have pr
v9cA two billions more, and heavy ado
t'rnal credits viii, Of course be granite
Bat with these billions of loans given al
In prospect and control over billions mo