The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-09-12
GERMANY PLANS CONTROL OF 60 PER. CENT WORLD TRADE.
Have "Feelers" Out All Over World for Extensive Credit Loans to Those Attracted
 By German Possibilities
By Associated Press

Berlin, September 11.-German eE-
 port manufacturers are laying plans
 to win control of 50 per cent of the worlds commerce by the time the war indemnity is liquidated and to do this, which they consider essential, | 1T Germany is to meet promptly her obligations to former enemy couns tries and remain economically sound, l 'feelers" have been put out for he- gotiations for extensive credit loans in virtually every country once in- terested or now attracted by Ger man trade possibilities.
 The German manufacturers, who are understood to be closely cooper ating in plans to launch the cam paign for world commerce, arc hoping for special agreements with American manufacturers whicb would not take into consideration in any appreciable manner the propo ial of the American Finance Trade Cor poration to establish a$1,000, 900 buying fund in the United States for Teutons.
 Already number of tentative agreements have been made between German and American firms "on pre- war acquaintance and postwar mon- ey values" but the fluctuating mark and the high cost of the dollar have rendered any large deals on a strictly cash basis out of the question.
 Causes Embarrassment
 The delay in declaring the state of of war between the two countries at an end also has embarrassed manu- facturers in both countries and even now that peace has been declared, the situation is uncertain, because 1t IS believed many weeks must elapse before the nationals of either coun- try know approximately what the new relations will be.
 The ~uermanS are placing -heir principal hope for favorable relations with American concerns in a scheme by which they would act as "Eu TO- pean agents' for the Americans, and would manufacture in Germany law materials sent from the United States and sell these manufactured goods to the Americans customers here on a percentage basis. This scheme al ready has been proposed to certain American manufacturers. Concern ing this plan, an informant in close touch with the German industrialists said:
 Many German factories ara now working only half time, not because there is no market for their goods, put because they are unable to se- cure raw materials at reasonable prices. The cost of production in Germany is so much less than it is Tn America that the Americans as we'll as the Germans, could co-oper- ate profitably in meeting the Euro pean demand for the manufactur d artcies. The market for cotton goods, for agricultural machinery. for in fact for all sorts of machinery, will not be over-supplied
 Is Now Timely
 This proposal is particularly time " now, when 1t is estimated that the worlds surplus cotton crop this year will exceed last years by 5. .5oo.- oVV bales. The European demand for cotton goods has been decreased bv the substitutes which Germans rs- peclally have been forced to manu racture, but it would promptly re- vive If the goods could be placed cheaply before consumers The high cost tf labor and the high value of am herican money abroad makss it l'e&t 10 impossible for the Americans 10 meet this demand. The Germans feel they could do it.
 There is another point which inc German industrialists are making in ohelr argument for cooperation with american manufacturers-the in- creasinS output of the German mills IS bound adversely to affect Amerj- can foreign trade for Americ,ns cannot compete with the Germans in many lines, owing to the difference m the cost Of production. Co-ope -a- .ion would give the two countries a euai world monopoly on large percentage of commerce, and te | profitable to both sides.
 Will Meet Competition
 IT no working agreement can be | reached In the European trade, the | german plans call for the sharp | est competition possible. German competition already is making itself | manifest in the South American lrade. where the Germans are rapidly resalnlng their pre-war prestige. I | know of one American concern which F ast year shipped 35,0oo tons of goods 10 south American countries, but in the next 12 months will send less man l2,o00 tons The Germans have sold the other 23,000 tons.
 The trade problem is now and al- ways will be simply a question of where to buy cheaply. as long as tho luaiity is approximately the same. and in the matter of quality the Ger nan manufacturers have recelyed lew complaints
 Some German capitalists believa if will be 10 to is years before Ger many again can wield anything ,jke 1er old-time power in world com nerce, but the more ioptimistic ers