New-York tribune., 1918-06-02
Limiting Imports
ToCause Immense
Saving in Shipping
About 5000 Commodities
Now on the Restricted
List
Control Isn't Embargo
England Stripped to Waist,
But u. S. Only Taking OFF
Its Coat, Says Official

WASHINGTON, June 1.-The United
States has been put on a lean import
diet. About 5000 commodities, as
important as paper. furs. tobacco leaf,
cotton and woollcn manufactures,
baskets, glass and glassware, fish,
meats, furniture and stone, and as
unessential as fans, perfumery, dice,
truffles, edible birds nests and
few hundred other edible substances,
which nobody has had the hardihood
to classify. are coming to the country
less freely than in pre-war days. Lists
of restricted imports, issued by the
War Trade Board with the advice of
the Shipping Board. are in force, and
the embargo" is on
One immediate result of the work
ing of the lists will be a few lost
motions in shipping. These lists make
it necessary for the business world,
here and elsewhere, to readjust itself
to new conditions. That readjustment
will inevitably be reflected for time
in shipping. In the end, the United
States will be able to employ hundreds
of thousands of dead weight tons more
economically than at present and sup
ply the soldiers and the Allies IN
France with less trouble.
The new plan of control isn't an
embargo at all, in the sense that the
famous measured OF Jetferson's time
was. 1t isn't so sweeping and SO
exasperating that, like the Americans
of q hundred years ago, people are
spelling the word backwards and call
ing it derisively the O-Grab-Me act.
1t hasn't sealed our ports. 1t was not
designed to put the country on a basis
of self-sufficiency The restricted lists
now in force are not nearly so broad
in scope as the English prohibition
lists, which have cut down the i'm
ports more than so per cent.
Simply Taking Of Our Coat
England has stripped to the waist"
one of the Shipping Board officials
has put it, "and we are simply taking
off our coat"
More restrictions are in sight. how
ever, and they will tend to make our
condition more like England's than it
is now. There have been many guesses
as to what will be included. In some
cases business men who have conferred
ton on trade questions have assumed
that restrictions were certain to follow.
AS matter of fact. there have been
conferences which have been called to
clear up disputed or doubtful points,
and other conferences have been part
of a general plan of action. Hardly
anybody not engaged in the actual
preparation of the restricted lists or
the administration of them knows how
hn To N0hOHv af
all, not even the heads of the bureaus
most directly concerned. can say what
the list will look like in the final
FORM
Behind the restricted lists of i'm
ports is the United States Shipping
Board, acting in conjunction with many
other boards and departments. While
e,ne division of the Shipping Board has
been building ships and buying and
otherwise obtaining them. another divi-
sion has been studying tonnage in it's
relation to comm odities. The first. in-i
termediate and final efforts of all di-
visions have been to get more ships
and shipping. At the same time there
has been an effort not to disturb eX-
listing international balances.
The great difference between the alb
solute embargo of Jefferson's time and
the present restricted lists is due not
but to the presence of hundreds of
thousands of American troops in France
and our obligations to them and to
our co-belligerents. There is con-
stant stream of ships to England and
France. Once over there and unloaded
the ships cargo space is available in
great quantities. Why should it not be
utilized on the return trip? Why
should the ships be sent back in bal
last?
Want Ships to Hasten Back
The government answers In effect:
There is no reason why the ships
should not bring back something use
full. Our first desire Is to get food
and other supplies to our soldiers and
the Allies as rapidly as possible and
as plentifully as possible. That means
that we must not only send the ships
over effectively, but we must have
them back here promptly for other
cargoes. If necessary, We'll have them
come back in cargo If we can save
time that way.
"We prefer, however, to have the
ships bring back things that we need
and 70 keep up our trade with friendly
nations. If you will have your goods
ready at European ports where vessels
are unloading and get the goods abroad
with reasonable speed, the ships will
do their part for commerce and will
serve the nations at the same time. ave
are willing to tell you where the ships
will unload 1t Is up to you to be ready
with your goods. We cannot afford to
send ships to ports for goods, but we
should like to have you send goods to
ports for ships"
That is the unofficial language for
the general clauses which are a part of
the restricted lists. The exact reading
Of the clauses in the second Of the re-
stricted lists is that applications for
import licenses for restricted goods will
not be granted except under certain
conditions, the third of which is:
when coming as return cargo from
European points, and then only (a)
when coming from convenient port,
(b) loaded without delay and (c) when
the importation from Europe Is not
specifically prohibited in said list"
Real Embargo in Effect
A real embargo, as tight as that Of
Jefferson's, has been the effect, how
ever, in the case of some commodities,
not numerous, but of considerable inn
portance. Most breadstuifs, gelatine,
malt liquors, candy, confectionery. to-
bacco leaf, shellfsh, lime, building ce-
ment. dairy products, lead, pumce,
starch, stone and stone manufactures
are among the commodities under the
ban. The restriction against the i'm
portation OF these applies even If they
are European products and might be
loaded without undue delay at con-
yenient ports. Food articles, in par
Ia To- ,,$