Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-06-05
SAYS AMERICA
HAS FAILED TO
MAKE FRIENDS
Boston Business Man Gives
Views on After-War
Situation.
EUROPE IS REsENTFUL


the position today Of having lost every
thing we went to war for"
So declares Louis X. Liggett, president
OF the United Drug Company, who has
| Just returned from a ninety day tour
If Europe investigating economic con-
| ditions.
Liggett declares that: ~ The United
| States has made an enemy of all the
/ foreign speaking people of Europe; (2)
this country has lost commercially
| through Improper representation at the
! peace conference = 80 Bclgians ere
resentfuI because the value Of the Ger
man mark. which the Germans forced
/ on them, has MOI been held up; a. Italy
claims that President Wilson has failed
10 keep his promises; 90 England has
kept the value Of pound around 81.
which initiates against British trading
With the United States.
/ SUMS UP FEELING
/ IN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES.
After summing up the European stu
alton Mr.. Liggett said:
Lets take up France FIRST. In some
| business circles in this country France
! IS extremely discredited industrially.
! beth because IL had to stand the brnnt
Of the war, and because the American
/ people are afrtid of strikes in France
!
| Is gaining too great a Roadway.
Tine facts are these: The people here
/ do not realize the fundamental strength
and recuperative power of the French.
| They do not realize that 80 per cent Of
/ the French people are engaged in agrl-
cultural pursuits and only 20 per cent
| in manufacturing. These so per cent
own from one thousand to ten thousand
! francs. What chance is there for the
| bolshevists or the socialists ever amount
/ ing to anything in France when nearly
every citizen is capitalist? France is
prosperous.
ut is absolutely true that sugar is
selling In England today at the same
price it is here plus freight charges and
| the sugar tax. There is n sugar short
| age the world over China and India arci
( denuded of sugar. I believe the reason
for this is that before the war there was
world supply for one year OF sugar
on hand. The war used up this entire
supply and the production was halted.
England Is also having prohibition IN
( consciously thrust upon her. The first
step in this Is the lew which permits
saloon TO keep open only six hours
day. A most interesting experiment is
/ being tried Mt Carlisle municipality
II about a hundred thousand popula-
ton. up near the Scottish border The
Z government has taken over all the sa-
looms. then paid the keepers for their
1 licenses, stock aad fixtures and Installed
the keepers as managers Under this
! government control food has been intro
duced and the pisces are practically res
| iaurants.
/ ENGLAND HAS
( GOOD GOLD RESERVE
THE economic conditions in England
/ are very good England has a gold re-
/ serve Of about IS per cent and money is
( plentiful. There IS general prosperity
and work for every one. English work
men with greater wages are moving into
more spacious quarters and the housing
/ problem which has become acute is be
ing met by the government in A some
what novel manner. All non-essential
; building was ordered stopped on June l.
/ when the government plans 10 set the
/ carpenters and other building trades
I Workmen at work building homes
England has kept the value OF the
I pound under four dollars az a means. in
I my belief, to prevent trading outside
England can not stand on free trade
basis and meet competition. The gov
eminent takes the next best step to a
tariff and keeps the pound down so the
merchants can not buy from America
I ~ lAe present tttAe all mat tDey Fre
. buying froW US are necessaries of life.
/ principally food products
With the opening by the British Of
/ the oil fields In Mesopotamia and their
/ purchase Of the She'll on Company, ! be
/ lieve will result IN a later reduction Of
their purchase OF gasoline and oils from
/ this country. l can not see n great deal
/ OF export business between England and
/ the United States
II am OF the opinion that the Increased
/ production in the agricultural lands OF
Europe and the consequent decrease in
/ the export of food products to Europe
/ viii balance the crop shortage which Is
generally predicted for this country. So
/ while the crops may be reduced the ex-
ports will also be reduced.
There is one thing | found In Eng
! land as well as here. ana that is there
/ Is a great feeling In favor of a reduction
I Of the purchase of luxuries. This Is a
very helpful sign. I am Of the opinion
that there is no basis for the talk of
phnlc.'