Omaha daily bee., 1919-08-03
MCCORMICK IS
ABOUT READYTO
LIFT EMBARGO
Chairman of War Trade Board
Webbing on Potash Ques-
ton; Producers Make
Protest.
BY e. c. SNYDER.
(Staff Correspondent Of The Omaha
Bee.)

u e. -. DIV ! LEN.
(Staff Correspondent of The Omaha
Bee,)
Washington, D. c., Aug. 2.-(Spe-
cial Telegram.) -Vance Mccormick.
chairman of the War Trade board,
is webbing, to use homely express
sion, as to the time when the en-
barge against German potash shalt
be removed. Not so very long ago
Mr.. Mccormick favored an indef-
mite extension OF the embargo and
expressed himself to Nebraska pot
ash producers as being in favor of a
bill licensing the foreign product in
order to protect the domestic arti-
Gle. Now Mr.. Mccormick sees a
new light since he has returned
from overseas and is about ready
to declare the embargo at an end.
Ask Postponement.
At a hearing yesterday Messrs.
Richardson and Stevens Of Ne
braska requested that if the en-
barge was to be lifted the date
should not be earlier than October
l and in letter filed with the chair
man gave reasons for asking this
postponement.
Lifting of the embargo earlier
than congress can act, the letter
said, will have disastrous effect on
the American industry because of
the psychological effect on the pur-
81, of
that the loose statements made last
fall after the signing of the armis-
tice concerning the possibility of
large foreign supplies coming in
time for last springs planting, abso-
lutely killed the market for Amer
lean potash because of its psyche
logical effect on farmers and fertil-
izer manufacturers. The same
effect will be apparent again if your
board lifts the bars now.
Farmers Without Potash.
at makes no difference whether,
as matter of fact, there is German
potash to be shipped or not, the eff
feet on the purchaser is the same.
The farmers went without potash
they could i'll afford to dispense
with, even at the prices asked for
American potash this last spring,
while the American producers had
large stocks on hand which they
could not dispose of, and the fertil
izer manufacturers will refuse to
contract for American potash this
fall for spring use if they think
through the raising of the trade
boards embargo that there is a pos
slbiity of potash from Germany,
The American producer without
the assurance that the embargo will
remain in force for the reasonable
time asked so. that congress may
have time to act, cannot afford to
assume the risk of opening and OPP
Grating his plants. 1t is. of course,
highly desirable that the American
plants should be running as soon as
possible if, as you intimated yester-
day, the supply from abroad, Ger
man and Alsation combined, prob
ably will prove inadequate and the
country will again face a shortage
this coming spring.
trust to Congress.
"This association" the letter con-
tinues. has assurance from Ne
braska producers, representing 80
per cent of the Nebraska produc-
ton, that if the embargo is contin-
ued until October and the freight
rates asked for and practically
agreed to by the railway administra-
ton are granted, they will immedi-
ately resume operation. and trust
to congress to safeguard the indus
try after October /. The Nebraska
production mentioned above will be
about $4,000 tons of actual potash.
These figures are based on opera
tons from September ! to the end
of the spring season. Other Amer
lean sources besides Nebraska
would probably operate under the
same assurances and bring this to-
tai up to at least $4,000 tons to
meet the potash crisis next spring.
IF your information concerning sup
plies from Europe is correct, Mr..
Mccormick, it therefore rests with
you to say whether this country
shall have supply of potash for
next springs crop or not"