The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-18
RUHR OCCUPATION ID A|D BUSINESS,
 WASHINGTON VIE w
France Needs Fuel for Coke Making and England Can
 not Supply It
WAnHINGTON BUREAU l
 THE AGE-uERALD Washington, D. C.. March 1J

The United States shipping board through it's research bureau, predicts today brisk revival of export trade in coal and steel during May and June.
 The occupation by France of the Ruhr will, according to the board, contribute to this development. On the other hand that occupation, the board cautions, will handicap de cided expansion" in general export business.
 The statement in part follows:
 "The conditions in the United States are not favorable at present to a heavy export movement of coal as stocks are low and a serious car shortage particularly at southeiI. ports has curtailed the pier totals such an extent that it is only pos sible to care for current business. This condition, however, will rapidly improve and May and June should see heavy revival of our overseas coal trade.
 French Need Coal
 France needs coal suitable for coking purposes to maintain her steel industries in the Lorraine. This las heretofore come chiefly from the Ruhr district and is now com received from the Saar valley but it is not suitable for coking and out side sources must be sought to avoid a complete shut down of. the steel industry i'll eastern and north ern France. Germany needs both in- dustrial coal and gas coal, the French occupancy of the Ruhr and control of the Saar valley give the latter control of Germany's supply and make recourse to outside sources necessary for continuance of her industries.
 IL No V,ac lor 1fe opportunity were it not for the fact that her mines are being worked to capacity to supply the recovered world markets and there has never since the strike of 1921 been an opportunity of accumulatlnS' surplus stocks sufficiently to meet such an emergency as now exists on the continent.
 "The export commerce of the United States steadily declined in 1922. while the imports increased in Loth volume and value, an abnor- nal condition for country that is not dependent on outside sources for the necessities of life or manu- facture. This situation arose through internal economic disturbances due to the long continued strike of the mine workers, whereby we were forced to import large quantities of coal with which normal production is an important item of our export trade.
 Strike Far-Reaching.
 "The coal strike was far reaching in it's effect and the reaction from it's influence on our foreign trade is just becoming apparent. The coal markets that had been established through our activities during the British strike in 1921 became lost through our inability to fulfil con- tracts and Great Britain rapidly re- covered her position as the chief coal exporting nation of the world. ne manufacturing industries curtailed their output and exports slumped in all lines during the period or ths strike and no improvement Was noted until the last of 1922. At the close of the last quarter of the calendar year increased export ae- tivities were noted in barley,s wheat, wheat flour, meat and dairy. prod nets tobacco and manufactures, na- val stores, chemicals, machl lnerJ, Ne- hcles cotton manufactures, cetneH l. leather manufacturers siubber manu- . factures and general cargo ue- creased shipments in corn, rye, ms oellaneous grains, fruits and nuts, vegetables, copper manuIactures, phosphate rock. fertilizers and cot ton. lures and petroleum were practlcaily stable. N
 "The outlook for the present year is not favorable to decided eNpan- sion in export trade. The European markets are not recovering as rap idly from the effects of the war as had been anticipated and with de- pressed currency and unsettled in- ternal conditions their purchases must be confined to sheer necosa.s ice