New-York tribune., 1919-09-24
r,elish Managed Clearing
House in Germany to
Establish Balance Ends
Fear of U. S. Competition
Take Unlicensed Goods
Ireement Indicates Serious
S;tuation in Former EN-
pire; London Is Elated
Ne,c York Tribune

80. announced by Charles Knott,
,-.sidept of the British Chamber of
r.mmerce in Germany, has created a
..,xst;on in British Industrial and
numerical circles. 1t is said the Ger
~, government has agreed to place its
njnistries of communications and Of
md temporarily under the control of a
British Official, who will have complete
,aarge Of the license department.
Goods leaving Germany for England
q, coming to Germany from England
vj,hout license from this official
would be confscated.
This plan is devised to prevent Ger
rsny from dumping" her goods on
Fngsnd, while allowing both coun-
mes trading benefits" and "to insure
M. exports from German ports to
gugand do not exceed imports"
Such concessions on the part Of Ger
many can only be regarded as remark
able. 1t is significant ;hat the an
nouncement Of the plan says that Ger
many is prepared to .ake 80 per cent
Of Englands manufactured goods. to-
/ cs.her with raw material This pros
pect Of placing Germany in d position
where she Will be forced to buy manu-
isctured goods from England. possibly
s. the expense Of other countries. is
held out as an inducement to increase
the production of goods for which
. here is now an assured market.
Plan Long Studied
A representative Of the Intelligence
: department. Of the London Board Of
: Trade told The Tribune's correspond-
.nt that the plan has been under con-
sderation ion some time and that q
.ev department of the Beard OF Trade
/ will soon open Offices here to handle
matters relating TO the control Of Ger
many's exports and imports.
/ |. will be seen that. while the Brit
i ish press has been complaining of the
! presence Of American drummers in
/ Berlin, England in the mean time has
'een laying plans TO regulate trade
E nth Germany for herself. The gist
Q: the scheme lies in forcing Germany
/ % buy British goods. The proposal
sounds the official deathEnell of the
sentimental propaganda against trad
lg with Germany. which was dying a
.stural death, anyway.
4 Mr. Knott, IN the course of his an
uouhcen cNJ, says.
III is foolish to maintain that we
should never trade with Germany. Eng
land produces certain goods to perfec-
;ion and Germany produces others
/ which it is to England's advantage to
take in exchange. Germany mas always
been England best customer and she
is bound to become SO again"
Calls Military Spirit Crushed
To promote the feeling that the time
has now come for England to lay aside
wartime rancor for the sake Of her
commercial welfare MIR. Knott declares
that the German military spirit S com
pletely crushed and that the German
people are not IN need Of war from any
point Of view. The military clique has
rot the slightest chance OF recovering
It's old position"
Just how closely England intends to
4 llply pressure to Germany IS shown by
his statement
i offers are to be made to some CEN
!al British organization by German
& manufacturers through the Berlin
81 Gearing house and only such offers as
e. afe reported followed by purchases by
# british merchants will be allowed to
|3 eave Mhe country. Therefore, the
81 slppl!'wiN only meet the demand and
|J 'ae British controlled clearing house
b vii provide that Eng.and's exports do
h not exceed ner Imports
"a frobabiy the central British organ
b lta'lon referred 90 Wi. be embodied in
me new department. Of the Board Of
n lFade 70 be established in London. 1t
n NpGedlcted that INC trading with the
enemy" board Will soon be dispensed
a find German Situation Desperate
1 British financial authorities regard
ae scheme as interesting, in the light
y throws upon the esperateness of
ueFmany's industrial situation, as dis
Berlin. : q '0- a"
Any number of big factories
throughout Germany will be glad to
taf' 'nelr work on these terms Just to
Mott said
., Dst,sh manufacturers are jubilant
"e' me turn events have taken. The
s.vposa means to them not only "pro-
s.oa' but an assured market for
x'.a' afucies Of commerce that other
os, se 'hey might not be able TO place,
8 NJ 10 American competition.
Fl ,ns arrangement Will keep Germany
sssss~petely at Great Britain's mercy. as
I" a. the trade between tNe countries
81 s,S,n Ss,Iacerned. AS Germany cannot get
81 ..tiss needed raw materials without
u,sa uas an equal amount of manufact-
81 ,sS goods IN return, and because the
nssv nav oet"ecn Great Britain and Ger
IA ~ VIII be eQualized, as long as it is
81 u.s.s u%s lormer's advantage, the rate of
| Inn aa'nge VIII not figure in the ques-
f. .S;t,a .S;t /. Will be possible to arrange an
s,..'aisy exchange rate, which will
,eaS, u desirable for Germany to buy
'''as In England.
+ Lloyd Georges Advice Recalled
prssmrp3areIntly this scheme is the one
s.sl sl'er Lloyd George had in mind last
RAM when he urgec the English toy
F. Cermse'ufers not to worry about a
.se rs. commercial Invasion. although
nanv as'h a. ne gave then was that Ger
becnm. vas 700 short OF raw materials to
SIM much OF a competitor.
+ ,nomss ",se the present Man clearly
f atrarvI ~, 20 tne establishment of an ar
Il Bsitair oa'ance of trade between Great
% rsms n ana Germany. it is interesting
G lnoor,su that in 1918 Great Britain
u neal, rom rom Germany goods valued
f. Cerms.y so00.000,0oO and exported to
81 COCOA goods worth only about $780,
+ cnlp Begins TraIn