Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-04-09
DENIES j. s. NEEDS
FOREIGN ALLIANCE
Senator Jones Declares
Americas Trade Has Not
Suffered by "AIoofness."

Quoting from figures compiled by
the experts of the Department of
Commerce to show that the foreign
trade of the United States is now
enormous-almost two and half
times what it was before the world
war-Senator Wesley l.. Jones of
Washington, republican, today issued
warning against being led astray
by the specious plea that we will re-
ceive material benefits by entering
into negotiations for the peace of the
world and entangling ourselves with
their jealousies. quarrels and contro-
versies"
Senator Jones is chairman of the
Senate committee on commerce and
led the fight during the last Congress
for the passage of the administration
merchant marine bill. He left here
today, accompanied by Mrs. Jones. in
his automobile to drive to his home
on the Pacific coast.
No Remedy Suggested.
ut is insisted" said Senator Jones.
that we should do something to aid
the world to get on Il normal peace
footing. Just what We should do or
can do is not very clearly pointed out
X conference of some kind is urged.
upon which it is to be held no one
can give them. The great economic
benefit to us is given as reas IN
for our interference. We are told
repeatC dly that. we can't have SUB
stantial and permanent prosperity
until business conditions in the world
are stabilized.
This sounds good. but is it true?
There are few facts which seem to
me To fully refute this suggestion.
OF course, all want the world stabtl-
lied. All want to see it's business
put on a normal peace basis and we
all want to see it's people turning
from the ways of war to the ways of
peace, even if this does not bring to
us more business or greater pros
perity.
Here are a few figures from the
Department of Commerce that are
most significant and which, it seems
to me. demonstrate beyond question
that from a material standpoint we
are better off than we would be if
the world were in normal condi-
ton and that the plea that we will
have no markets and can have no
prosperity until the world is on
normal footing is not correct
In 1912. when the world was on a
normal peace basis. We sold to for
"ign peoples. in round numbers,
S2.204. 100000 worth of our products
and bought from them s1,557 200, 600
worth. This was before the war and
under normal peace conditions. In
1922. with all the unsettled and
about. we sold S3,771 100000 of our
products and bought S2,60S, 900. 600
worth of theirs. In other words,
while our population increased only
about 90 per cent, our foreign busi-
ness is almost doubled. This is not
all.
Notwithstanding these calamitous
cries that veX our ears and fill our
news columns, this foreign business
is increasing. For the eight months
of the fiscal year of 1923 we sold
abroad s2.657.00 900 worth of prod
ucts or. if kept up for the rest of the
year at the same rate, we will sell
this year S3.9S4 100000 worth. For
the first six months of the year we
bought from the world. 1886. 900 900
worth or at the rate of 1892, 000. 900
a year. In other words. our foreign
trade for the year 1928 will be nearly
two and one-half times what it was
for 1872
What does this show? 1t shows
that the people of the world are in
such a situation that they are not
supplying their own actual needs and
are coming to us to make up the de-
! fiCiency. When they get upon a
normal basis they will come more
nearly supplying their own needs and
will not make such great demands
upon US, and instead of stimulating
our foreign trade ana increasing the
demands for the products of the farm.
just the reverse will occur. This, of
course. should not diminish our hope
and desire for stable conditions in the
world. but we should not allow our
selves to be deceived. We must put
our own house in order so that when
order comes to the world and 1T be-
gins to supply it's own needs. we will
have such a diversity and such "A de-
mand at home that we will continue
prosperous when the foreign demand
decreases. as it surely will"