The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-04-07
DWINDLING EXPORTS

America is in danger of losing the
foreign trade her merchants built up
during the war Her exports are al
ready dwindling. They were worth
1851, 10000 in February, which was
8,OOO,OO less than January and
$238, 100000 less than a year ago.
Time to start thinking, isn't it?
A layman can see three possible
reasons for the change. One is, of
course, foreign exchange which per-
mits the European producer, from
whom we captured the markets, to
get back in the game by underselling
US. We've got to charge more for
what we make than he does. That's
that.
Another is unstable trade chan
nels. Our manufacturers who find
themselves in need of foreign mar
kets one month and then leave those
markets to shift for themselves in a
following month when home markets
call for all their products, cannot ex-
pect to find the foreign buyers wait
German concerns that give their
whole attention to the foreign field
appeal to the buyers as more depend
able,
But perhaps the greatest obstacle
to our holding the ground we won,
so to speak, by the other fellows de- |
fault is the determination with which |
he has set himself to the task of |
getting it back. 1t is a matter of life |
and death with him. 1t is merely |
matter of business advantage with |
us, says the Idaho Statesman.
The National City bank of Chicago, /
in a bulletin issued last week, says
our situation is not surprising in view
of the Decentralization of the foreign
exchanges and the very serious bar
rier imposed by the utterly abnormal
premiums that have prevailed for dol
lar credits abroad And it adds:
1t is obvious that the leading
nations concerned in foreign TRADE
operations are about to engage
in the strife of their lives to for
tify what foreign trade they al
ready have and to do what they
can to get more. In this strug-
gle the United States will play
leading part, but it must never be
forgotten that the financing of
such operations is much better
understood by the great banks of
Europe than by those institutions
of this country which were form
ed for the express purpose of
capitalizing the exceptional for
eign trade opportunities which
developed as a consequence of
the war.
This suggests a fourth reason for
,ur shipping condition. back of
The European COM
EDITORS know the game better than
We do.
Time to start thinking, indeed AL
o time to start learningI
"a - "a
Americans should bear in mind, as
hey consider the issues of an inter
atiOnal character which are con-
nua1ly coming up these days, that
lis government differs essentially in
s structure from the governments of
urope. 1t was purposely made diff
rent in order that its people might
ljoy freedom such as has never
cen accorded the people of Europe.
urope is full of fads, isms, ETC., in
and nearly all of them -
I've been tested out in one way or
lother and found wanting. All
mericans need to do is to be loyal
their own government, which is
perior to any ever considered on
e European continent, and for each
dividua1 to devote his energies to
ttering his own condition, through
climate effort. The entire problem
II then have been solved.
r "a -
A number of reasons why farmers
as leave the farm and go to the
les have been suggested from time
time, in prose and poetry. The
It reason suggested to us is that
" go to town to make some money
the old man 50 that he can keep
farming. In a good many cases,
tead of furnishing the old man
h expense money, they go back to
farm and have the old man fur
h them with something to eat.
- "a -
he spring, which people generally
med to think was delayed, has at
t arrived. The delay was, per- IT,