Great Falls daily tribune., 1919-05-04

Washington, D. c.. April 2s.-Good
viii is just as great an asset to a nation
J struggling for world trade as it is to a
village merchant in the retail competi-
tion, and that particular asset the United
! States Of America now has In unusual
measure, according to B. S. Cutler, head
of the bureau of foreign and domestic
commerce.
| There has been much talk Of ships and
banks and consular agents and foreign
| language schools rs means Of winning IN
| the fight. for foreign markets; but this
| tremendous advantage of good will, which
we have gained during the war, does not
seem to have been generally realized at
all. Yet it is such tangible thing that
| it has won us markets IN Belgium,
| Greece, Rumania and Serbia where be-
| fore the war we could scarcely sell
| shoe lace
Uncle Sam is today like substantial
country merchant, with a name for
shrewdness and indeed for sharp dealing,
but largely unknown beyond his own bail
I iwick, who goes to war, makes reputa-
| ton for courage and public spirit. and
suddenly finds when he returns to bust
ness that broader fields than he ever
! dreamed of are open to him.
| Before the war this country was al
/! most unknown in eastern Europe, for ex-
| care of her, because she trusts our good
| intentions, and two or three newborn
republics regard us as godfathers, while
| Latin America follows our lead In every
| thing, and such waif nations as Liberia
| look to us for salvation.
| All this is very fine in humanitarian
way, and promises to be still finer in q
| business way. Our reputation as feed
| er of the needy and defender Of the
/ n +~ hS~I-. Iv.-h
| That bread we sent across the water to
sundry starving nations was bread cast
| upon the waters indeed.
Our task now is not so much to get
more trade-we are already the biggest
| exporting nation In the world-but to
| hold what trade we have. The Depart
ment of commerce is putting into effect a
! comprehensive campaign to this end and
| it is figured on this element of interna-
! tional good will as the biggest single fac
| tor in the problem.
| Before the world war, the United
/ States ranked second to the United King
dom as On exporting nation. -Four years
\ OF war made decided change in this
standing. The report of the calendar
gear Of 1918 showed the exports Of the
| United States more than double those Of
! the United Kingdom. Domestic exports
| Of this country last year amounted to
So, ,04S, 900 900, while the United King
dom's exports fell to s2,425, $40, ,191.
| According TO present Indications, 1919
| will be the banner year in our foreign
(! trade. a new high peak was reached in
January when S622. 100000 worth OF
/ American goods was exported. February
and March totals run close to these fig
ures, and taking the first three months
| as "a basis. exports for the present year
should exceed $1,000 ,000, ,080--a billion
more than any previous year, This Is
considered remarkable in view OF the fact
that the shipment Of munitions has prac-
/ tically ceased, and prices Of products are
! lower now than during the war.
| Officials of the department predict
| that the United States will continue to
/ hang onto the trade built up during the
war in South America, the orient and
Australia. During the last four years
American goods have supplanted those
of England, France and Germany, and
reports indicate that the American manu-
facturers are giving complete satisfaction
to their new customers. Our South
American trade has been more than dou-
! bled since 1al4. Exports TO the orient
and Australia show even greater gain