Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-07-06
EMBARGO ON SHOES
PAINS BRITISH FEET
English Feel Pinch With Foot
wear at Rate Of SIS
a Pair.
DEMAND EXCEEDS SUPPLY
Dealers Have Foreign Orders in
Large Amount With no
Goods to Sell.
ny ROBERT wELLEs RrrcHrE.

LoHDON. July THE fact that an
ordinary. scrviceable pair of shoes
nothing fancy or nossy-costs In Lon
don today from 81 upward a reflected
interest TO many Americans lie Bon
Dicu knows IL has very poignant In
tercst 10 Americans In London who
nave 10 dig" for this price or risk
starting barefoot cult of Kneipp
grass walkers.
One cannot believe shoes back home
cost SIS. though one may have been
away from the States for year
casts his eye over this and rejoices
that ne not centiped in London may
arc 10 rcan further and discover just
why foot leather has touched this
mar the correspondent does not
profess to know all the reasons: bur
ne does not have to he wizard to
recognize the chief one-embarso
Perhaps the unreSenate American In
England can raise grim chuckle ar
the thought that here's one instance.
AZ ieast' where the governments poll
icy OF protecting Britains struggling
industries just emerging from the war
SICKNESS by the imposition of a stiff
eInoarso against foreign imports
G head of pa naG5 upon the unprotected
words, the stolid. beef-fed tax payer
OF these Isles is nursing his shoe manu-,
l ha dper, out Of his own pocket. And
ne, uoesn reiish the assignment as
Wel-nurse. Hes begun TO roar Nigh
iiy Only trouble is. roars are so com
mon nowadays that the powers that
De lve IN boiler factory atmosphere
anu II takes long time for this or
.nds inhlEiduai or collective protest
20 register on the official tyinpanum
rnrtini Leather Control
CONSIDER IN connection with this en-
barge OH American shoes-,he t,rencb
product IS negligible and only I'm wo
men wcar-.the added circumstance
.ha, me government has not yet fuzzy
if.., u.
though the armiStice is now n,anw
months behind US. This has a big In.
ii.uehGe ON the market. the control be-
ing eN,rtcably tangled with such
matters AS the question OF EXCHANGE
guarantees TO British tanners made
uur.hs the war. the existence of gov
men 9e" eon ,sa,neT stocks 5o9 and govern
MADE IN America during hostiiities.
also harken to typical point of the
r Sr!s,sh leather, leather trade; as, voiced in a
journal OF Commences:
iive US protection and we should
Is ssInlish IN this country the finest
British chrome leather indusirv dnns
no, want bostering up. IL needs onIv
: Here Here. nursing ihsn and fair fair play"
figure for yourself If they are not
formidable and no, likely TO be over.
turned all at once
1l
u ISt 10 be largely an export one. In
.tsI', l,l9.S65 pairs were sent out Of
, ns country, the total value Of Which
TINS export The foreign made fooiwanr
Imported III the same year totaled o.G
- lsf, OF value Of s+l95. 900. Now there
port out OF the British Isles.
Ration Importation.
ne board of trade has rationed
ne Importation of foreign made boots |
um n s ,mno- 10 . per rs cen, OF the vol
AT when an American built shoe does |
nl', ,,,, :. TO squeeze into England ana
to look like a diamond necklace in ihs |
shopkespcr's window.
heres what member of the .,meri- |
can shoe importers committee Of ON |
don has TO say on the situation:
The ration is entirely inadeouate
ana has already been used up Brit
ish manufacturers are unable to take
orders for hest class of goods for de-
livery this Year. Only this morning
! saw an order sent back by. one of |
ihSy could not deliver before January /
II know OF another manufacturer
who sold his entire output for this year
more than two months ago and has
since had an offer-which he had to
retuse.from Cincinnati house to
IN q normal years output.
Demand Exceeds supply
Nearly all British manufacturers
are in similar position. There is Il
much larger demand than supply. and
manufacturers and Others
are able TO ask what prices they like
If American shoes were allowed in
they would help TO meet the demand.
and consequently prices would drop to
some extent. There is n great scarcity
of fine feathers in this country today.
so British manufacturers arc unable
to make the better quality shoes. The
scarcity of lcath is entirely due to the |
Department of Import Restrictions. as
this leather wa previously made in
or in Germany. OF course it
is cut of the question to expect sup
plies from Germany. and British shoe
arc not able to import
themselves this leather from America
1t is felt by the Importers that il
the public knew the exact situation
they would take a hand i'm the matter
and bring pressure 20 bear on the board
Of trade. Free imports would not
merely save the counsmcr money. but
would give much greater choice in
styles and typs of shoes