Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-05-02


W ton struggling for world trade, as it
is to village merchant in the retail compe-
tition, and that particular asset the United
States of America now has in unusual meas
ure, according to B. S. Cutler, head of the
bureau of foreign and domestic commerce.
There has been much talk of ships and
banks and consular agents and foreign
language schools as means of winning in the
fight for foreign markets; but this tremen-
dous advantage of good WILL which we have
gained during the war, does not seem to have
been generally realized at all. Yet it is such
a tangible thing that it has won us markets
in Belgium, Greece, Rumania and Serbia,
where before the war we could scarcely sell a
shoe lace.
Uncle Sam is today like a substantial cOun-
try merchant, with a name for shreWdness
and indeed, for sharp dealing, but largely UNI
known beyond his own bailiwick, who goes to
war, makes a reputation for courage and pub
lie spirit, and suddenly finds when he returns
to business that broader fields than he ever
dreamed Of are open to him,
Before the war this country was almost I'M
known in eastern Europe, for example. Now
Turkey hopes we will take care OF her, be-
cause she trusts our good intentions, and two
or three newborn republics regard us as god
fathers, while Latin-America follows our
lead in everything, and such wait nations as
Liberia look to us for salvation.
All this is very fine in humanitarian way,
and promises to be still finer in a business
way. Our reputation as feeder of the needy
and a defender of the oppressed is going to
bring us in billions. That bread we sent
across the water to sundry starving nations,
was bread cast upon the waters indeed.
Our task now is not so much to get more
trade-we are already the biggest exporting
nation in the werld-but to hold what trade
we have. The department of commerce is
putting into effect comprehensive campaign
to this end, and it is figuring on this element
of international good will as the biggest sim
gle factor in the problem.
Before the world war, the United States
ranked second to the United Kingdom as an
exporting nation. Four years Of war made a
decided change in this standing. The report
of the calendar year OF 1918 showed the ex-
por@ Of the United States more than double
those of the United Kingdom, Domestic ex-
ports Of this country last year amounted to
Sc, 048,000 900, while the United Kingdom s
exports fell to $2,425, 819,191.
According to present indications, 1919 will
be the banner year in our foreign trade. A
new high peak was reached in January when
$622,000,000 worth Of American goods was
exported, February and March totals run
close to these figures, and taking the first
three months as q basis, exports for the pres
ent year should exceed 100000, 0O0-a
billion more than any previous year. This is
considered remarkable in view of the fact
that the shipment Of munitions has practical
ly ceased, and prices OF pFOouctS are lower
now than during the war.
Officials Of the department predict that the
United States will continue to hang onto the
trade built up during the war in South Amer
lea, the Orient and Australia. During the last
four years American goods have supplanted
those Of England, France and Germany, and
reports indicate that the American manufac-
turers are giving complete satisfaction to
their new customers Our South American
trade has been more than doubled since 1914
Exports to the Orient and Australia show even
a greater gain in that period. In 1914 ex-
ports to those places were valued at $751;
600, O00 while in 1918 the figures jumped to
$582,00O,0O0.
1t is to keep the jump obtained during the
war, while our chief European competitors
were too busily engaged meeting war de-
mands to pay much attention to the develop
ment of commerce, that is the aim OF the de-
partment of commerce. One of the first steps
taken by the department in the matter Of per-
manent trade development is the making of
commercial survey of Europe as the war left
it. An appropriation of 100000 has been
obtained from President Wilson's emergency
fund for this purpose. This is considered
very important undertaking, conditions
after five years of war, have materially
changed the trade situation abroad. At this
time, Europe is almost virgin territory in the
trade field. Before the war, it was our larg
est buyer, absorbing about three-hfths of our
total exports. England was our largest sim
gle customer, with Germany second and
France and Russia next in line.
The commercial survey is being made by
trade commissions that have been sent to
London, Paris Rome, Athens and practically
all the other important cities of the allied and
neutral countries. Eventually commissions
will go into Germany, Russia and Austria
all kinds Of raw materials and finished prod