Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-11-29
HITCHCOCK's DOLLAR DIPLO-
MACY.


Among the arguments being used
TO induce senators to revitalize the
Wilson treaty of peace is that of the
boche dollars that treaty advocates
are telling timid heads Of industry
they will lose if we do not play big
brother in protecting Germany from
harsher terms, or too rigid enforce
ment of the treaty which that coun-
trv has signed and which Great Brit
ain and France may have in charge
for enforcement
one of Senator Hitoheock's state
1nents is that treaty reservations APP
proved by the foreign relations com
lnittee, or defeat Of the treaty, would
bring to us a whole box of troubles
from Germany. .a
Among these. he says, would be the
loss OF Germany's agreement not to
discriminate against us in a tariff way
and her promise TO give our shipping
the same treatment as that of German
ownership The undertaking to vail
date the acts of the Alien Property
Custodian. under which we seized
about $500. GOO. 900 worth of German
uroperty in the United States, would
also disappear since the Germans
would not have to live up to that pro-
vision of the agreement which au-
thorized us to use this money to pay
losses of American property in Ger
MANY and our pre-war claims. SEN
ator Hitchcock also argues ths.t we
would lose our right to retain the Ger
man shipping, aggregating more than
100000 tons, which was left in our
ports. and that we would also lose
our immunity for the use of German
patents during the war, And if there
were no American representation on
the reparations commission the
United States could not have a hand
in directing the course of German
trade.
Now, defeat of the Wilson treaty
does not necessarily mean that this
country will not be a member of the
league of nations, which proposes to
admit everybody, but which may have
10 change many of dts requirements
before the United States and some
other nations enter. .-..-e u ...
The declaration by congress that
state of peace exists with enemy coun-
tries would remove business restric-
lions caused by war. Germany would
be as eager to do business with Amer
lea as America is TO sell TO Germany.
The most Of the people in this coun-
try are less concerned about selling
goods to Germany in a hurry than
they are to have our soldiers come
home. and that no obligations be in
CURED to send any more forces or
billions of dollars over there to be
shot away or expended in keeping an
army to police countries for the ma
tions of Europe. The commercial
feature is not the one nearest to the
hearts of Americans,
As to business, Germany would not
dare to discriminate against the
United states in the matter of tariff
rates. The aggregate of our exports
10 Germany for the five years preced-
ing the outbreak of the European war,
1904, inclusive. totaled $l,520,000,
0C0, or an annual average of some
thing over 100000. OF this
amount, raw cotton averaged $154,-
100000; copper, s65,OOO,OO0; raw furs
100000 00 cottonseed meal, $1,000
GOO; mineral oil. 100000; turpen-
tine, $S,000,O00; manufactured to-
bacco, $4,000, 900; breadstuffs, $40
100000, or 1857, 100000 accounted for
in these eight products alone. Our
imports from Germany for that five
year period aggregated $SS2,000,Q0O,
or $4,000, 600 annually. The bulk Of
these imports consisted of manufac-
tured goods. How long would Ger
many last without our raw materials?
What q blow it would be to be pro-
1libited our market for her manufac-
tured goods. How quickly maximum
and minimum tariff clause would stop
her discrimination against us, as it
did in 1910.
AS for ships, the patents, and the
property seized by the custodian. what
is Germany going to do about them
''We've got them, we're good for
them" -..... .......
Never fear but what Germany will
be glad to trade with us as she has
been in the past.