The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-05-19
PARA[ YS|S IN NATIONS FOREIGN
TRADE BIC PROBLEM FOR.U s.
By MARX SULLIVAN

National Political Correspondent VI
The Intelligencer
WASHINGTON. May 1S.-Tariff and tax
alton continue TO fail to get the center
Of the stage away from European az
fairs Newspaper writer's reneCt Tue
psychology Of newspaper readers IN OBJ
serving that reparauo or the Sup!e'hc
Council or any other phase of European
affairs is always good for a bigger
headline than any new development III
the tariff bill or the tax schedule.
1t is for the same reason that pro-
gross in tarifr-making and taN-maklnS
is far behind the programme hld do"i.
by the leaders when Congress met. ana
that tariff speeches do not attract as
much interest in Congress as they used
10 in former tarifr-maknG sessions. Inc
reason FOR it all is the growing con-
seriousness that the paralysis or foreign
trade is our primary difficulty ana ina
that must be fixed before tarlr an"
taxes can be OF any help. The recoEni-
ton of this fact. starting with othcAi
Washington. has spread through Con.
gress, and recently has begun to spread
from Congress back through the coun-
try.
\ common sentiment was eHpreSSen
by 4 Western farmer who was asked the
other dav WHY he Is in Washington,
when he ought. presumably. TO be at
home planting corn. He replied that
he had discussed the matter with neigh
bors, and they had agreed that the
best use of his time would be to come
TO Washington and see what lie could do
toward getting the 1920 crop marketed
rather than stay at home and plant the
1921 crop.
Marking Time
The larger part of the government
has realized steadily that nothing etfec-
tive could be done until the amount or
the reparations is fixed. For this reas-
on. most Of the great departments
which might ordinarily facilitat" export
trade have been ma rking time. ne
largest definite help in actually getting
goods shipped abroad and sold there mas
come from the War Finance corporation
and it's managing director. EuSen"
Meyer, ia. This organization has done
all that energy could do under trying
circumSta noes.
Most OF their effort so far has been
concerned with cotton. The corporation
has advanced several million dollars to
Southern banks to finance the export OF
cotton to England. France. Italy. foru-
gal. Japan and Germa ny. Not only has
the CORPORATION made advances to Amer
lean banks and exporters for the snip
ment Of cotton abroad on definite con
tracts In addition. the War Financ"
Corporation has taken another step
which is small in proportion but is a
sign both of the extreme need OF the
case and of the willingness Of the cor
poration TO take minute pains. They
have held in foreign warehouses FOR
such marketing as can be done In small
lots.
The idea Ia 10 maintain adeQuat"
stocks Of American cotton In ware
houses in Liverpool. Havre. Trieste,
Genoa, Venice and Bremen. for sale 10
such consumers as may want to buy ii
over the counter" so to speak even in
such small lots as fifty bales. The ag-
gregate of such efforts is necessarily
not great but it reflects the sort Of
thing to which Americas export trade
is being reduced.
In the field of business and economies
In all it's ramifications straight back to
the farm. the first need is /" reStor"
life to a paralyZcd international trade.
So far as American business is con-
cerned. this is the first task for lima gin
alton and action.