New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-07-20
NHE lifting Of the trade block
ade against Germany raises
|. the question as to what sig

IAiS IuSSSlOiA uo W NiiStS SiS
nificance the action lends to
the defeated nations future status
among world powers. Also, papers
suspicious of Teuton policy are in
clined to wonder if the old trickery
will not again show itself, CONNER
cially and otherwise, in spite of the
present exception of potash, chemi-
Gals and dyes from the list of stuffs
allowed the late enemy for export to
this country.
Technically, the lifting of the ban
gives rise to tariff and shipping
problems in this and other Allied
countries. American newspapers are
discussing these also. The economic
effect, or the effect on prices, is also
considered.
The New York Tribune is one of
the newspapers to express doubt as
to the outcome of the resumption of
trade with Germany:
"The important matter is to know
whether defeat in war has taught the
Germans how to trade on fair and de-
cent terms-how to distinguish, that is
to say, between competition and con-
spiracy, between battle and murder.
Their code of war was perfect sub
imation of their business code-Prus-
sian, ruthless and oblivious. And it
would be so, only it had never occurred
to the world to make that ominous
deduction.
This is something for Germany to
ponder. She is readmitted to COM
mercial relations with much wiser
world than the one she fooled SO long
1t has learned that a nation cannot live
by one code and trade by another. AS
people are so they trade.
TRADE with Germany may be war
fare again, as it was, or it may in time
become civilized That is for her to
say
What remains uncertain, in the
opinion Of "The New York World"
is, pending action by the President,
how far the trading with the en-
envy act will operate to close the
door opened by the lifting of the
blockade. The newspaper says:
at is the evident purpose Of the
State Department to permit as little
interference as possible. Acting Sec
rotary Polk announces that licenses to
trade with Germany must continue to
be taken out. but that they will be
issued in blanket form, or for all COM
modities except dyes, potash and
chemicals.
Some markets are acting as though
a great export trade with Germany is
now Immediately to spring up. This
is hardly to be expected. Germany is
in little or no better position to pay
for imported American goods than
France. 1t viii be in worse position
with its three chief lines of exportable
commodities cut out. There will be nc
great disposition presently to senC
goods there on credit. Shipping pre-
sents another obstacle. Germany nov
has little of it's own. That of othe
nations is as yet hardly equal to the
trade demands in other directions
Sentiment also enters as a hindrancs
The German desire to come back int
the trade world and go on as if moth
ing had happened will have no promr
response Human nature is huma
nature.
"But if Germany is to meet its vas
repatriation obligations it must be er
abled freely to import raw materi;
and export goods in payment, and b
as much as this is denied by so muc
= will French and Belgian credit be n
paired in the purchase of America
commodities. The problem is Difficult
but way through it will be wrough
somehow, because it must be-"
"The New York Herald" observe
that the State Departments actio
gives American manufacturers an