The Omaha morning bee., 1924-09-10
OluahdWele tbeMeStis is dtlts Best
TRADING WITH THE WORLD.

John N Norton and "Jake" Thomas for the
democrats and mike" Harrington for La Toilette
are going up and down Nebraska just now, telling
the farmers they shut out from the world mar
ket. That the mountain-hgh tariff wall erected by
the Fordn ey- NJ cCumber law has shut off access to
the customers who used to part with their coin for
American produce They are but following the
democratic nlatform Therein is contained the
declaration that when the nations of Europe have
been tranquilized and their productivity restored
then the American farmer will come into his own
He can trade with England France, Germany or
Belgium, and get their manufactured goods in ex-
change for his grain meats, wool and the like.
What will happen to the American market in
the meantime does not appear to worry these mira
Gle doers So long as they can delude the pubic
with their free trade dogma, it does not materially
matter to them if the American mechanic has job
or not 1t is the condition of Europe That dsturbs
their Sleep
What constitutes trading with the world? Is
there any other measure standard than the
amount of stuff buy and sell in dealings with
people outside our borders? If that is commerce as
generally understood, then the records of the De-
partment of Commerce ought to afford fair gauge
of what is going
The monthly average of imports of the United
States in 1914 was $149, 1888 900. This was under
the Underwood tariff law, so much mourned by the
free trade democrats. In june 1924, imports into
the country from all parts of the world amounted to
1914 4015, ,0e0 or 1873 per cent of the 1914 total
And June the lowest month of the year, and the
lowest but one since the Fordney- NJ cCumber act
went into effect. The smallest total of imports since
the present law went into control was in September
1928 when the amount 1858 645,000, or ITO
per cent of the 1914 monthly average.
In exports a similar showing is made The
monthly average of 1913 is used by the Department
of Commerce, because it greater than that for
1914 Exports in 1913 from the United States
averaged S207, 900 month. In June, 1924, the
total of exports $306, ATS 600, 148 per cent
of the prewar average. And June the lowest
ebb of exports since the present tariff law was
adopted save July, 1923, when the total was $302,
900, or 146 per cent of the pre~ar average
Does not this record effectually answer the
sertion that we neither buying from nor selling
to the world? Except during the peak years of the
war trade, nothing under democratic rule ever ap-
preached the total volume of trade that is going
on between the United States and the world
What about Europe on which all democratic
eyes are bent and from whose disturbed conditions
they say all our troubles come?
In 1913 the average monthly purchase of the
United States from all Europe was $72 056 000 In
value Of $50 189 00O III per cent of the prewar
average. The 1913 monthly average of exports to
Europe was 1924, ,964 900. June, 1924, sold to
Europe to the amount of $141 ,949 900, Ia per
cent of the prewar average. Our trade with Europe,
then is actually higher than it under demo-
cratic control, except during the period.
What about the farmers share? The monthly
average of exports of foodstuffs in 1918 s4l,-
144,00O; in June, 1924, it $49,056,000. Can
ada's export of wheat in May, 1924, 492 per
cent of it's volume monthly average in 1913, and in
June it was 287 With all that, the food shipments
from the United States States exceeded in volume
any democratic year, except those of the war, which
can not reasonably be used a basis for COM
parison
Under the Fordney- -McCumber act all the farmer
raises is protected and most of what he has buy is
on the free list. How he benefit in any
by destroying his home market? He Is selling to
the world market than he. ever did when the
democrats were in power and he has the home
ket the richest in the world, for his Win the
Nebraska farmer be any happier when the unemploy-
ment of Englands labor is transferred to America,
as it surely will be IL the free traders have their
way? Surely, the voters will not again follow the
democratic ignis fauus into the Of free trade
WHO'S BOSS FOR LA TOILETTE?