Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-03
ENClAND'S BUYING
POWER INCREASES
Empire Is Held in Better
Financial Shape Than
Forecasts Indicate.

Special Dispatch 70 The star
LONDON, September 3.--No appre-
hension need be felt that Great Britain
will buy less goods from the United
States this year than last. Conditions
in this country unquestionably nave
bcttered In the last two months, buy-
ing power has increased rather than
diminished Moreover the effoft OF
ENGLAND will be directed more strenu-
ously toward the selling Of British goods
to America than TO the exclusion OF
American goods from United kinedon.
II seems more than likely that those
efforts will be highly successful.
To the careful observer, 1t Is evident
that over-eniphasis has been placed on
the amount OF unemployment IN Great
Britain, This has come about In con-
nsction with proposals to send workers
70 the colonies As a matter OF TACT,
England has several industries which
are woefuliy over-manned and over
factoried. This Is true Of the coal
mining industry. the steel industry, ana
the textile trades. But II Is true also
~ the same industries--with the excep-
ton Of steel-in the United States.
Unemployment Figures.
The fact that there are abut 10000
too many workers In England, Is not
extraordinary There is seldom a time
In the United States when unemploy-
ment, voluntary or involuntary, Goes
not approximate 100000. This takes
in transient, itinerant, and seasonal
workers passing from one JOB 70 an
other. The American coal industry TO-
day has more men idle than are hang
ing about the pit mouth Of England.
Scotland and wales and the New Bed
ford and other New England textile
strikers and short time workers are In
no better case than their English as
sociates II is case Of sick industries
rather than bad general industrial con-
ditions
In the meantime. employment Is
growing in England Buying power Is
stepping up and credit conditions are
such as 10 bring comfort 70 American
producers who sell abroad. AS 10 wheat,
the weather has yet to make or break
that crop. The prospects, however. are
for fairly active demand and a fairly
low price compared with some other
years.
Buyers Market
The American crop surplus will be ab-
sorbed with fair readiness--but on a
buyers market--not at the option OF
the sellers. Canada Is likely To nave A
huge crop and will market it in such a
/ way as TO take full advantage of the
Liverpool markets. where Canadian
wheat has preference, not only for SEN
timentaI. but for protein reasons. The
Russian crop gives small promise Of be-
/ ing a bearish factor, but the buying Of
wheat by Russia is not calculated to adj
vance prices 10 American farmers appre-
ciably. The English market always mas
| the backstop OF the Argentine and Aus"
! tralion crops, which, Of course, are not
! determinable as yet.
American meat sales will be restricted
largely TO pork and pork products, ana
/ seem likely TO be fair but not excellent.
( The fresh meat trade now is dominated
/ by the companies tmany OF them Amer
ican) in the Argentine, but the price
/ var has accustomed Britishers 20 low
/ beef prices and strong resistance 10 IN
creaSes may be anticipated.
American canned goods will sell as
never before. This is q fIeld In which
! preference, as distinguished from price
/ ard quality, Is the dominating factor.
/ II the var did nothing else, 1t educated
Europe TO the can opener and that habit
| once acquired is seldom relinquished
/ AS TO fresh fruits, they are holding their
own and making some slight gains.
Apples Show Greatest Gain.
! Apples are showing the largest gain
Thousands Of tons from Virginia, Mary
land, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New
York and the Pacific Coast will be i'm
ported into England before January |.
! Twenty-Five thousand barrels Of Amer
lean apples have Just been landed 1T
Liverpool. British buyers are return
ing from trips 10 the American orchard
districts and have concluded contract
for large quantities ~ fruit Some Of
these buyers have taken a fiyer" N
peaches for the FIRST time. encouraged
by the abundance Of the crop In South
ern States, and they have cleaned up
Thousands Of pounds by the experiment
They plan increasing distribution in
future years.
The breakfast grapefruit habit Is be-
coming firmly fixed in England and
the citrus fruit growers OF the United
States are improving their opportuni~
ties. Strong efforts are being made TO
populsrize melons and citrus fruits, and
bananas from the Bahamas, Bermuda,
Jamaica British Honduras and other
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