The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-06-09
OUR VANISHING EXPORTS.

OUR VANISHING EXPORTS.
The change which has taken place
in Americas position in world trade
and finance as a result of the war was
brought to the public's attention by
the April report of foreign commerce.
The trade totals for that month show
for the first time in many years an
"unfavorable' trade balance against
this country This development may
be taken as a complete vindication of
the position of the statisticians and
economists who have commended that
the huge creditor position of the
United States rendered it inevitable
that the tide of trade should turn
against the country. Considering
years only, the foreign trade records
of the nation disclose but two periods
when there were excuses of imports
over exports. Thesewere in 1886 and
1887.
But the real fact seems to be that
Germany is rapidly getting back the
world trade which she lost during the
war and that we are as rapidly losing
that part of it which we acquired as
result of that unpleasantness.
A delegation of British business
men, who recently made trip thru
Germany, have issued a report in
which they express the conviction that
the German people are better clothed
better shod. and more plenteously fed
than many of the allied peoples. Dur
ing a long journey from Cologne to
Leipzig they reached the conclusion
cultivated, not a single sign of war
was to be seen, but only an industrious
and apparently prosperous people. In
the towns thru which the delegation
passed there was much more activity
in house building and decorating than
| in England. The impression the dele
CATION got was that Germany was in
sound, Notwithstanding the depressed
value of the mark.
The German automobile industry is
rapidly reviving and exports are in
creasing to Latin-America. There are
something like ninety large automo-
bile factories in operation in Germany,
| and a number of smaller ones. The
exports of German automobiles in the
first eight months of 1920 amounted
to 14.050 cars and 2.S49 motorcycles.
One-fifth of these exports went to al
lied countries, and four-fifths to neu-
trails. These figures show a consider
able increase over German automobile
exports for 1913. Germany is now
making dyes at the rate of 5000 tons
a month.
1t is reported that German exports
to Russia from May Is to December
81, 1920, amounted to 204,10O,00
marks, of which the principal items
were agricultural implements, auto
\ mobile parts, electrical goods, drugs
chemicals, dyes and medical instru-
ments.
The rapidity with which the Ger
mans are gaining in foreign markets
by undertaking us, is clearly shown
says a bulletin issued by the Corn Elk
change bank. in an article which
comes direct from q correspondent
who has lived in the Argentine for tha
past ten years, and is familiar witf
the trade conditions.
German trade is so rapidly regainins
several important Argentine market.
which Americans captured during The
war, says the writer, that 1t is eviden
that American competition is not go
ing to prove much of an obstacle IL
: the way of Germany's complete re
conquest of the South American mar
kets in which she formerly predomi
mated.
One of the first American controlled
: lines to suffer from the re-entry o
the Germans was newsprint, and an
other was steel. Today. the Germans
are delivering paper at Buenos> Aire
: at an average of 20 per cent unde
[ American prices, while the German
; steel prices are SO much under tn,
American prices that the Germans re
Gently were able to bid 4Sh per cen
under the lowest American bid on
government contract and SIS per cen
. under other American bids.
l German paper is meeting with sucl
demand IN the Argentine market tina
American paper houses which are es
: tablished in Buenos Aires are import
= ing German paper instead of Ameri
can. Two steamers arrived at Bueno
Aires in April carrying German pape
= consigned to American firms.