The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-30
BUILDING TRADE
 IN THE FAR EAST
By HOLLAND

New York, April 2s.-(special.) )-James J. Hill possessed the facilities and the financial strength which were necessary national trade with the far east and es- pecially with China. He looked for large markets in China for American products,
 particularly lumber. wheat and cotton goods, and in return he felt certain that the United States would accept silks.
 China in sufficient amounts to balance our own exports to that country. There
 fore he began to establish international
 trade relations with the far east from
 our Pacific coast, believing that in time
 trade would exceed the exports from
 California, which for many years con-
 sisted of wheat.
 He had just demonstrated the practica-
 bility of his plan and felt that he could
 look ahead to a very great development
 of international trade by way of the Pa
 cific. when of a sudden the heavy hand
 of the government was placed upon him
 through the action of the interstate com
 merce commission. which refused to per-
 init him to grant this special railroad
 rates which were necessary if this com
 merce were 10 pc ueVelOpe1.
 From one point of view MT. Hills fore
 cast of the possibilities of foreign com merce established between the far west
 together with the Mississippi valley and
 the far east was the first plan of that
 kind ever advocated. He expected by
 means of his railroads to secure com
 n.odities in great amounts especially cot ton, in the Mississippi valley, and from the southwest much of which would be exported to China and Japan in return he saw his way clear. he thought, to bring the commodities of Asia and Japan across the Pacific to the far west, the middle west and the Mississippi.
 The interstate commerce commission may have been justified under the law in restraining MT. Hill from granting the special rates which were necessary if this commerce were to be established. But that ruling put an end to the inter- national trade upon large scale from the Mississippi valley, and the far west to China.
 A REVISED PLAN
 Some weeks ago the report was made in this column of contemplated purpose of large financial interests in the Missis- sippi valley which if carried out would establish a strong banking institution, created for the purpose of stimulating the export trade, which it was thus be- llieved could be obtained and steadily in- creased, and which would be based upon products of the Mississippi valley.
 The Mississippi valley is not meant a narrow strip of land bordering on each side of the Mississippi river, but substan- l. tially the whole area of the middle south and the middle west, for which the Mississippi river and it's tributaries | furnish much of the transportation facil- tiles
 This organization seems now to have passed beyond the point of preliminary consideration. The bank is to be estab- lished. Its capital may be as high as
 s25 900 o00 certainly not less than SIG, LOO. coo and it is to be bank of banks. because | it will bear a somewhat similar relation to the various banks of the Mississippi valley, as do the member banks to the | federal reserve system. Tn this day of modern views it is not probable that the government at Washington through any of it's bureau will step in and lay a heavy hand upon the proposition. such
 as was dore when Mr. Hill undertook to create vast Pacific commerce.
 FROM THE NORTHWEST l few days ago information came from Minneapolis to New York, which con | that not only the agricultural, but the | industrial interests of the northwest are | now preparing to create a great foreign | trade The northwest is convinced that l it's commodities may secure excellent for eign markets. That idea seems to have been almost spontaneously developed ] throughout that region. It may be that lit became unknown that the banks oi the Mississippi valley and of adjacent establish a powerful central institution | by means of which proper financial as- sistance could be obtained whereby for egn trade and, of course. domestic trade, could be stimplated.
 | In the east there seems to be small comprehension of the energy and per
 sistence with which men of large affairs l from New Orleans as far north as St ] Paul, are undertaking to meet the won cerful opportunities which have, espe- cially since the European war began opened up to them. At New Urleans | they are perfecting harbor facilities upor
 a very large scale. The Mississippi is already the waterway by means of which
 barges of large capacity designed for the movement of slow freight are being transported up and down.
 So also the commerce which will orig Iinate or terminate in the Mississippi val Hey will ultimately find that the harbors of the Pacific coast furnish excellent ia cilities whereby American commodities especially those produced in the Missis- sippi valley and the west. can be trans ported to China or Japan and then re. turned to our own coast ladened witf the commodities which have been se- cured in the far east.
 This new movement. which Is repre-
 sented by the Mississippi Valley associa. ton Gan association which is certain tc become one of the most influential in ob- Itaining and maintaining great commerce both domestic and foreign) does no
 mean competition with the seaports ol even with the banks of the Atlantic
 coast It means instead cooperation. Il wisdom prevails. if business statesman n.
 ship is permitted to have it's way. there l is to be business enough for all The At. lantic coast will have it's fair share SC | Kill fha Mississinni valley and fha Pa.