Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-10-22
ITALY ASKS j. S.
TO LOWER TARIFF
Delegates Plead for Reduction
of Textile Tax as Recon-
struction Aid
FRANCE NEEDS FUEL OILS
Bv a stag Correspondent

BIZ stag Correspondent
Atlantic City. n. j., Oct. 22.--one |
way for the United States to help Italy |
to her feet is to lower import tarlnS on
textile manufactures. The ltahan tex
tile delegates to the International trade |
conference. headed by Giorgio Mylius.
president of the Italian Master Cotton
Spinners and Weavers' Association, |
conveyed this information today to the
textile committee of the conference.
italy has revised her textile import
tariffs downward, and hopes other !
countries. notably America. viii do the
same.
John r. Mum is chairman of the
American textile committee. lie and ms
associates were informed by the Italian |
delegation in joint committee meeting
this morning thnt there were 4,6OO 900 |
spindles turning in Italy before the
war. of which 300. 900 were temporarily |
put out of work or totally destroyed by
the invasion. Conditions have been re-
stored to almost normal in spinning.
The normal cotton importation into |
italy annually was 500, 900, 900 pounds
before the war. 1t will not be more
than 425 900 600 pounds this year, ac- |
cording to the delegation. Before the
war between 80 and 4O per cent oil
1taly's manufactured textile goods were
exported.
France Needs Fuel Oil
The French delegates conferred with
the American fuel committee this morn
ing on the supply of petroleum and fuel
oils for next year. France, like Italy,
has reduced import tariffs to meet post
bellum conditions. The import tax on
petroleum has been cut from 12O francs
ton to four francs.
During the next year France wants
s4.I Anta A. NTAtNlN
petroleum and fuel oils to total value
of 500. 900 900, according to n state
ment made to the American committee
by the French delegates. 1t was for the
purpose of encouraging import of fuel
oils, the delegates explained. that the
tariff has been cut to "A minimum.
During 1920 France will need 100 ,OOO
tons of fuel oil a month.
The American committee assured the
French delegates that this country had
the oil that the French need, but there
was some uncertainty about ship ton
mage The French Government is build
ing tankers for this trade, and it is said
that it is possible that ships now on
the ways in American shipyards may
be allocated to the French.
Delegates have been arriving rapidly
during the day from all over the coun-
try to attend the open sessions of the
conference. There are approximately
$500 registered at headquarters at
present. and more are expected.
Italy's war losses amount to between
two and one-half and three billion lire
according to Commander DIR. Ferdi
nand Quartieri, chairman of the Italian
mission.
Italy has come to the convention
eager to take her full part in the great
work of post war economic reconstruc-
ton. The Italian delegates, meeting the
American business men in various sec
tional groups, have been frank to tell
the needs of their country.
The heavy loans necessary during the
war have proved heavy drain on the
country; reconstruction likewise is in
volving the investment of billions more
some of Italy'S most fertile lands are
far from recovered from the devastation
of conquest and reconquest. On the
whole, however, Italy is in reasonably
good economic condition, facing the fu -
ture bravely and ready to undertake a
campaign of manufacture and foreign
trade that will bring about new era
Fear Spread of BOlshevism
Though the meetings of committees
and subcommittees were held behint
closed doors, enough has found its way
out to make it very evident that tn,
business men, both European anc
American, who are taking part in tn
conference, fear the spread of boil
shevism and kindred doctrines.
The need to provide by wise enact
ment and economic measures agains
the spread of Bolshevist propaganda i
expected to be the keynote of the pub
lie meetings.
Britain. France and Italy have a
experienced the stirring of more or les
radical social discomfort. Belgium
alone of the nations interested in tn
conference has been relatively free frol
serious industrial unrest. The explan6
ton given by the Belgian delegates (
the methods used in King Albert
country to keep the people happy an
contented has given rise to much dis
cussion in the conference. There is
strong feeling that similar remedi'
for the industrial and economic diseas
of the age should be applied here ar
in other countries,
Belgium has kept her working peop
satisfied by elaborate government CO
operation with the working men. The
has been no effort at state socialism
anything approaching it. The state ban
has been the rock of Belgium's conteu
The government is continuing the praC
tice, begun long before the war, of loan
ing money to wOrkmen and farmers
to pay for the purchase of farms an
the erection of dwelling houses.
See Grave Danger in United States
American leaders of business fe
strongly that there Is grave danger