Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-29
WARS END viewed
AS SPUR TO TRADE
Brings Nations Nearer 10 q
Solution of Their Eco
nomic Problems.
n0PE IN BUSINESS FUTURE

NEW 1pkk. June 2N,--BuSfneSs
| America regarded the signing of the
treaty OF peace as spur To the COM
merce Of the world. Much uncertainty
prevailed as to the precise course that
| European trade will take in the Inn
! mediate future. yet observers agree
| that the official ending OF the war
brings the nations step nearer the
| solution OF their economic problems. 80
| sharp perception in this country
that Europe needs vast quantities Of
| production and consumption goods
manufactured in the United States
conditioned the reaction OF business
men to formal peace. Although Eu-
| rope requires American merchandise
and Americas factories are prepared
/ to supply large volumes Of goods,
| business men are recognizing that
protracted trade is impossible until
q great new international credit
| mechanism is constructed.
| Progress in Coordination Plan
The bankers report progress in their
efforts to create a great organization &c
coordinate Americas plans to finance
| European trade. but no important de-
| velopments are expected for at least
a fortnight. Difficulty in bringing the
details Of the proposals to attention oil
bankers and industrial leaders in widS-
ly scattered places retards arrange
ments.
Meantime domestic business COR
tinues active. and generally speaking
the supply of merchandise is still loa fling
far behind the demand. which remains
large.
Continued Demand for Woolenss-
Apparently the demand for WOODEN
goods still exceeds the present supply
and the possible production for many
L - 70 nrts frnt oAll NO
agents for mills indicate that many
buyers among the apparel manufacture
| ers would place more orders for fall ma
| terials IL the mills were in position 70
| accept them. =.
Cloth jpobbers say they could sell
more material than they have on hand
or on order at the mills. and the gar
ment manufacturers themselves are out
spoken in describing their difficulties In
obtaining fresh supplies. Mems cloth
supplied with materials than are the
manufacturers Of women's apparel -.
Indication of Growing Value. p.
An indication of the increasing
value of goods was clearly shown IN
| the auction of the Nays surplus
eleven-ounce fannels this week. whGh
a top price OF $2.75 a yard was paid.
At the closed bid sale OF similar m6-
terial two weeks ago the top price
was $2.26. 1t also was reported this
week that a large mill had accepted
| orders for tricotines at 81 and IS a
yard which could have been bought
three months ago at 50 and $3.50 a
yard. Deliveries of high grade wooden
goods for fall are slow: due. the mills
say. to their inability to get yarns
from the spinners. In turn the spin-
ners claim they cannot obtain fre
woods in this country now. 1t II
pointed out that the woods in the
/ hands of the government and those
coming in from the domestic clip are
Of a medium or low grade. The fine
Australian woods are not coming intb
the country in any large quantities
Spur to Cotton Textiles. -
Concern over scarcity of goods
visions of enlarged trade with EuroQs
following the signing of the peacs
treaty and the upward flight Of prizes
for raw cotton caused marked anima-
ton in the market for cotton textiles
this week. Jobbers asserted that the
making of sales was an automatic
process. and that the only crimp in
the buying movement was their IN
ability to get sufficient quantities 81
goods from the mills. Retail dealers
secured the salesrooms of the jobbers
for voiles, and when they found the
goods they gave instructions to have
the fabrics shipped by express or par
eel post.
| Most of the converters of wash fab
RIGS reported that with them the SELF
ing season already had terminated.
whereas in normal years sales were
made throughout the months Of July
and August. Sales Of cottons at auc-
ton brought prices close to those de-
manded by the mills. and it was
| stated that some exporters had resod
goods that were intended for ship
ment to foreign buyers. the intima-
tions being that they could not resist
the profitable prices now prevailing
in the local market. =
Scandinavian Buyers Active. =
Scandinavian buyers were reported
to be large operators in all classes Of
| goods and it was limited that some OF
the fabrics probably would eventually
nnd Judgment in Germany. One of the
leading producers OF printed goods ad-
vanced pEices one-half cent a yard
and two of the large manufacturers
Of ginghams offered their lines to the
trade for shipment during the spring
| season of 1920 on an AT value" basis.
| The actual prices will be fixed at a
, later date. and il they are higher than
| present levels buyers will be given
the option of confirming or cancelipe
| their orders. Shipments will be made
| On pro rata basis.
Sales of unbleached goods were Of
d. .
| being converters, who, 1t was stated,
will convert the fabrics for sale to
actual consumers instead of holding
them for speculative trading. Print
| cloths of the construction known az
| $3.50 advanced from 15x cents a
yard to II cents. while 6S72s ascend
! ed from Is cents to 20 cents. Moat
of the sales were for delivery to the
end of the year. and some of the mills
| were reluctant about accepting addi-
| tional business.
Steel Industry Optimistic.
There is more optimism in the steel
| industry, while the current demand
is largely from users of wire prod
siderable talk is heard in the trade
| Of heavier commitments from ship
! building concerns. A large volume Of
| STRUCTURAL inquiries are in the mar
ket. 1t is predicted that June's aG-
gregate will substantially exceed that
of May.
| In the pig iron market, considerab BILE
| interest was shown in the recent
statement of a representative of .
| construction company in Worcester,
! feeted which will separate oxygen
| from the air at a low cost. and that
| by it's use. it will be possible to re-
duce the cost of pig iron productiefl
81 per ton. -
| II
Production Shows Increase. 10
Generally speaking, steel produc-
ton is now at about IS per cent Of
| capacity, against an average of 81 Per
cent In May. with a low point during
| that month of about so per cent. and
| average of IS per cent and z. per
cent in April and March, respectively.
More than the usual interest is beina
in, hn rkof for