The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-09
MOVEMENT TO BAR
IUXURIES' FROM US.
Some Britons in Clamor to
Commons Say Needless I'M
ports Hit Exchange Rate.
PREMIER is APPEALED TO
Food Controllers Words Add
to Agitation Against
Pianos and Motors.
PREMIER is APPEALED TO

A movement has been started in Great
p,itsin. backed mostly by British manu-
,actlIrers, to bring pressure upon the
poard Of Trade to forbid the importa-
ton on American pianos, monographs,
snwing machines, motor vehicles and
s,hsr Injuries 1t is contended that
pritish buying Of such articles and
others not in the list OF necessities Is
ona OF the principal causes of the low
rate OF exchange.
ouite a sensation was created all over
Great Britain when Food Controller Rob-
arts said in a speech in Birmingham re-
cAntly that because of the present rate
N exchange the English, Scotch. Welsh
and Irish people have to pay from IL
To 20 per cent more for foods bought
from the United States than would be
,ha case in normal conditions. Bankers
and others conversant with financial
conditions were not surprised by Mr..
Robert's words, but to a large number
OF the residents of the British Isles the
statements came as a stunning blow.
REPORTS received by American manu-
facturers from across the water say that
the unrest resulting from the high cost
Of living and the numerous strikes i'm
Great Britain received impetus from Mr..
Roberts's speech. The Prime Minister
and the House of Commons >rere bonn
harded Immediately with violent protests
from every point Of the compass Many
dernanded that the Government act at
once to remedy the situation, although
their ideas as to how 1t was to be done
we're very obscure. Others made all
kinds OF suggestions. some Of which
showed marks of merit. while others dis
played a woeful lack Of the fundamen-
.,an 10
Alfred Bird, a British manufacturer
and member Of the House of Commons
in communication to the Prime Minis
ter wrote as follows, his letter being
much on the general lines of those sent
In by many others:
This problem is inextricably asso-
ciated with the Government trade
policy for the future, upon which, after
frequent postponements, we are at last
promised a declaration, In the debate
upon the adjournment for the recess,
when 1t can neither be effectively ex-
planned nor debated. What we want to
know Is not what general results may
or may not follow from international
action extended over a number of years
but what definite steps the Government
propose to take forthwith to prevent tn,
closing down Of factories in our manu-
featuring districts through the lmporta-
ton of American, German, japanese
and other foreign manufactures, will
which. under present conditions, we car
no longer economically compete.
Thus the unhappy British manufac
turer will be left in position of un
certainty until October. which can onl,
be described as DISASTROUS
The threshing out of the exchange
question has revealed what the British
Government did in the fall of 1917 in al
effort to modify the Dutch exchange IL
favor OF Great Britain, according Il
Gibson Bowles. a London capitalist A
that time II was decided TO take meas
ures similar to those adopted with re
gard to the American exchange; that is
TO acquire from private owners Dutcl
stocks and sell them to Holland.
1t appears that the Government OBJ
tained a list OF British shareholders o
the Royal Dutch Company and then sen
privately to the bankers of Mr.. Bowles
who owned stock in the Dutch concern
seized the shares and sold them at tn
prevailing market prices. The stock
have increased greatly, since 1917 an,
probably win increase more. Mr.. Bowie
testified to the seizure, which was don
under the Defence of the Realm Act.
Mr.. Bowles asserts in his complain
that when the British Governmen
bought the American stocks 1t made fai
and favorable bargains with the owners