Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-27
EXPECT u. S. TOURISTS TO SPEND
HUGE SUM ABROAD THIS YEAR
Half Million Globe Trotters to Leave Half Billion
Enough to Pay Debt Installments, i'm Europe
During Coming Summer Visits.

many Americans habitually indulge
Not long ago some distinguished
Americans who favor revision of the
European debt settlements. and event
ual cancellation of the debts them
selves, learned something at Wash
ington that they didn't know before
They came here with the argument
that it's rough on Old World nations
to have to pay the United States bur.
densome annuities growing out OF
our common war" while the Amer.
lean tariff shuts out" foreign goods
that might be sold to us and thus
help our debtors get out from under
These Well-meaning, but under-in
formed Americans were rather taken
aback when told that not less than
65 per cent of the merchandise i'm.
ports Of the United States comes In
duty-free. That is to say, it doesn't
have to pay any tariff rates. Last
year this country received from for
eign countries $3.50, $50 900 worth OF
stun, mostly raw materials and food
stuffs, on which Uncle Sam didn't col
iect nickel of customs duty.
Chief Imports Free.
Among the principal free imports
were rubber with a value equal tC
ia per cent Of the import total
newsprint, 2.8 per cent; wood pulp
FL per cent; furs, 2.7 per cent, and
tin, "a per cent. All of these were
largely imported from the British EN-
pire or other debtor European nations
and their possessions. Capital of Eu
ropean debtor nations Is also largely
interested in the production of petro
leum in Mexico, which formed 2.S per
cent Of our total imports; copper in
Africa and South America. which
formed 2.3 per cent, and fertilizer in
Chile, which amounted to 1.6 per cent
In 1926.
The duty-free articles which the
United States purchases in immense
quantities abroad include crude rub
Der, raw silk, coffee, newsprint, petro-
ieum and products, paper base stocks
and wood pulp, furs, tin. hides and
skins, vegetable oils. sawmill products,
fertilizers, art works, manufactured
cotton, cocoa beans and tea. AS the
controversy of the past year or two
has wildly disclosed, America pays
very handsome tribute to the Brit
ish rubber monopoly. BY far the
largest portion OF the crude rubber
consumed by the American automo'
bile industry is derived from Ceylon
and the Federated Malay States, both
British possessions.
1t was intimated at London not
long ago by Winston Churchill, the
chancellor of the British exchequer
In the Baldwin cabinet, that British
rubber monopoly profits from Amer
lean buyers are going a long way to-
ward relieving the oppressed British
taxpayers from their burdens, 1nclud
ing the debt installment that has to
be sent to Washington every year.
American Federal economic author
titles freely admit that our debt-collect'
ing policy is unquestionably and
steadily breeding a "reprisal" pro
gram in many sections of Europe
The French Parliament, for example,
is, by the way Of imposing new tariffs
| on imports of American manufactures,
which. IL enacted, are bound to deal a
heavy blow to profitable sales ia
France of such goods as oil. automo
biles. typewriters and other Yankee
specialtes hitherto freely bought In
that 9QuRtrM Hi ...... t..-..s