New-York tribune., 1919-10-06
England Will Seek
To Speed Industry
And Undersell u. S.
Newspapers and Public Men
Have Focused Nations
Eyes on Need of Ending
Adverse Trade Balance

WASHINGTON. Oct. 5.-The atten-
ton of English industry is focused on
speeding up production in order to
restore the balance of trade, and there
are indications that England will be
able to continue to manufacture many
lines of goods more cheaply than the
United States, according to II. G.
Brock, acting assistant chief of the
Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Com
merce, who has just returned to Amer
lea after fifteen months residence in
England, where he was commercial at
tache.
at is more or less of common
place to say that there is an awakened
interest in England as to the desir-
ability. indeed the necessity, of an in
creased export trade" Mr.. Brock said.
The diminished production of coal
in that country, however, coupled with
the recent decision to add six shllllngs
a ton to the price, has served to es-
pecially focus the attention of Eng
lishmen on the difficulties OF the ex-
port situation. In pre-war years Eng,
lands ability to export coal had, of
development of her foreign trade.
Gigantic Adverse Balance
"At the present time, when the bal
ance of trade is so adverse to the
United Kingdom cat the present rate
it will amount to f800,00O,0OO this
year,, the necessity of greatly increas-
ing total exports is becoming more and
more apparent. No Englishman has
any excuse for not appreclati this
fact because it has been Ginned into
his ears consistently since the armis
tice.
sIn the matter of production Eng
land is probably better prepared to
make consistent and rapid progress
thar any other belligcrent European
country. For one thing, the labor
scarcity due to the demands Of the
var has been in large measure rene
died.
"The continuation of tn. import re-
S.rictions on numerous commodities
ti.til September gave the industries
the country an opportunity to
ance from war conditions to peace
additions, and shielded industry dur
4g the period of dc emoblization. The
called unstable key industries are
II to be protected for at indefinite
nc by the prohibition against the i'm
ration OF such goods except unde,
.ensc by the Board Of Trade.
''Dumping is likewise to he provided
-anst by suitable legislation, and the
ard of Trade is to be equipped with
emergency powers tc check d sudden
q undue importation of goods at
ices altogether below the cost of pro-
,ction in the United Kingdom owing
the collapse Of exchange. This last
Id measure is aimed particularly
Germany. where the sovereign
rings 80 marks, as against 20 before
war.
Concentration Is Possible
THE deprecated value OF the SOW
reign, which means that American
~ooucts imported into the United
.,ngdom cost the importer consider
sb.y more than when exchange is nor
NJ. will likewise tend to stimulate
Eyitish production in competing lines.
i'agland can, therefore, now concen-
rte on speeding up production in
most industries, and vigorous efforts
re- certainly being made already in
as direction.
will England be able to manufact-
,re many lines of goods more cheaply
IAN the United States in the future as
II the past? Some British manufacture
rs with whom have talked are con-
nced that she will; others are equally
lessmistic in their views. So many
factors influence the situation on both
a.des of the Atlantic that it is scarcely
ycssitie at this time to prophesy with
aHy degree of accuracy as to the ulti-
Late answer"