New-York tribune., 1920-09-29
Prompt Action to
Cain Near East
Trade Necessary
r ,port of Shipping Board
Shows Great Britain Has
Been Taking Measures to
Make the Field Her Own

Opportunities for American trade
with the Near East are discussed in q
report made to the Shipping Board re-
garding commercial conditions in Tur-
key, Greece, Bulgaria, Rumania and the
Black Sea ports. Immediate action is
urged as the prime essential for the
expansion of American trade in these
regions.
"If America expects to play an i'm
portant part in the future trade Of the
Near East she must begin getting her
report. "If she holds back, delays the
date of her entry, the other industrial
nations of the West will have so far
established their hold on the market
that Americas entrance will be difficult
almost impossible.
"The chief aspirant for the trade of
the Near East at the present time is
Great Britain. That there is concerted
governmental and private effort in this
direction no one who has been over the
ground will doubt.
THE large number Of British trad
ers who are, and have been, working
in the field, and the large amount Of
British shipping plying these waters,
are unmlstakable evidence on this
point. British warships present in al
most every harbor and British military
forces stationed in many cities-both
messengers of peace and security to
these troubled communities-are build
ing up strong pro-British sentiment
which cannot but have an influence in
favor of British trade.
But while Britain is the chief force
in the commercial life of the Near
d ia ifoh $bax
many, when once her productive ma
chlnery gets going again, will make her
influence deeply felt.
Admittedly the Near East Is not the
most attractive market which the world
offers to-day. Generally speaking. the
section Is poor in goods and in money.
Furthermore the unsettled state Of
local and international politics makes
the day Of its recovery uncertain.
Tho market, in other words, is for
the present full of risks. But it is also
full of promise for the future. The re
gion has wonderful resources-felds.
forests, oil wells, mines. 1t has, there
tore, wonderful possibilities Of devel-
opment as producer of raw materials
which the Western industrial nations.
including the United States, require.
and as a consumer OF the goods which
the industrial nations produce.
lnts ls why Great Britain is taking
the risk to-day and making every effort
to establish herself in the market
ahead of her competitors. This is wbv
Germany will make The Near East the
first point Of her post war commercial
attack. And all these are reasons whv
America must get fairly into the field
now If she wishes to be there in the
final running
Getting into the field does not mean
merely, getting goods and representa-
tlyes there. 1t means doing business.
American firms in many parts Of
the Near East are not doing business.
or at least they are doing it on a very
limited scale, such as can be carried
out by means OF barter. They cannot
sell outright because they cannot give
credit.
The Near East requires credit. and
credit ON relatively easy terms. Brit
lsh traders are in a position to grant
such terms, being insured against loss
up TO certain percentage by their
government or by private concerns.
Unless American houses can Offer
similar terms, they have little possi-
bIlity of making progress with this
market IN its present state. II thew
plan to wait until the market can meet
them on their own terms they will be
losing valuable time which thew cam
not afford to lose"