Omaha daily bee., 1921-06-26
Heavy us. Trade
With Germany
Feature of Year
Business Between Two Ma.
tions Technically at War
Only 500, 100000 Less
Than High Record.
By HOLLAND.


trade nothing to be compared with
some features of the record made by
the United States in its trade with
Germany since July l, 1920. On Fri
day OF next week the present fiscal
year of the government will end.
~ Even before the close of this fiscal
year it has been possible to make
public the figures which tell OF this
trade, although those for the latter
part of June are necessarily estimates.
The record of this trade had been
compiled by O. P. Austin, who is
the statistician of the National City
bank and is numbered among the
most competent of American statis-
ticians.
One peculiar feature of this record
is the fact that it was made between
two countries which are technically
at war. If such astounding results
in international trade can be secured
in year when two nations are, upon
paper at least and with respect to
certain formalties, at war, what may
not be expected when peace is Off
cially declared. Early in the new
fiscal year, either by proclamation of
.thc president or by resolution adopt
ed by congress, peace with Germany
will be declared Therefore in the
fiscal year which is soon to begin our
trade relations with Germany are
likely to be relatively greater than
our international trade with any
other nation except Great Britain and
Canada.
$i5O, 1000, coo in Trade.
Another feature to be discovered in
this astonishing record is the fact that
1t was made in year when heavy defla-
tion began in the United States, when con-
siderable business depression prevailed and
when the total of our international trade
was much smaller than in any previous
year since 1915 If all the world had
been able to do what Germany has ac-
eomplshed complaint respecting our
international trade would have been pos
sible.
BY July Of this year our trade
with Germany for the fiscal year which
ended the day before will be 10000, 600.
trade with Germany in the previous year,
while in the fiscal year which ended June
80, 1919, our total trade with Germany
reached only s10.000OoO.
So far as the record shows there IS re-
latively no increase in trade within fis-
cal year which compares with this. II
tends to bear out the statement which
has been made by many who have yis-
tied Germany that her statesmen and her
people are concentrating all their
energies in an attempt to rebuild the ma
tion and do 1t while paying the oillons
in reparation which Germany has agreed
to pay.
what United States Sold to Germany.
In the fiscal year which is now ending
the money value of the commodities whleh
we cold to Germany was approximately
s370000, 900. Two years ago our sales TO
Germany were so small as to be almost
unnoticeable and year earlier Germany
bought nothing in the United States. that
being due to the fact that her armies were
still operating.
If we have been selling commodlties
in large amounts to Germany the trade
has not been entirely one-sided We bought
during the last IL months nearly s1O0,-
900, 900 worth of German commodities. IN
the fiscal wear which ended June 80,
1919 we paid less than $1,O00,oO0 for
German-made goods.
In the last year when peaceful rela-
1 tions were maintained with germany sr,,,.n our
el .FhsAarnounted to nearly $sb0'oVo,ooo'
Therefore the trade which gained SO Won
derfully since July l of last year is only
about 500, 600, 900 less than the high rec
ard of our trade relations with Germany
in any previous year.
How Payments Made.
Mr. Austin does not report either in1er.
entially or absolutely how aerHlany
the United States over our purchases OF
ever eve about ssse, ooo;o ;ooo of Gsrmany.s er msrs
purchases in the United states M WeIa
paid for 1t would be almost Impossible
to trace these payments or to discover now @
many of them are represented Wy 'he
granting Of longtime credit. . .
Thomas w. Lamont recently SAID tnat
in order TO enable Germany to make its
installments on account of reparation u
is necessary that 1t should sell moro 70
other nations than 1t buys from them. inl
in the past IL months 1t bought IN tne
limited States commodities of the money
value of s370 000, 900 and sold to US prou
,cts of its own manufacture or the Vaiue
A little over $100,000.000 1t cannot MAKE
reparations payments If its trade with ths
world reflects its trade with the uniteo
Statese in the past IL months
Germany had need of food and raw ma
terjal which Its industry could work up
into commodities ready for the markets
of the world. 1t bought heavily or wneat
and flour also of bacon and lard, ana
these food products which 1t bought are
matched in money values by Its purchase
of cotton in this country.
On the other hand we have been buying
from Germany dye stuff. gloves. decorated
china, as well as cotton. laces and en-
broideries. That the exports to Germany
in the fiscal year which Is soon to end
will exceed In value those OF any year
prior to the war and were made whlie
war was technically continuing between
the United States and Germany will be
regarded as one Of the most remarkable or
the many remarkable features which VIII
F,.aa af