Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-12
BRITISH BUSINESS
WITH INDIA DROPS
Gradual Decline in Trade Is
Noted-PoIitical Situation
Still UnsoIved.
BY JOHN F. SINCLAIR.

NEW SOUh. january ll.-bTlLSn
business men are worried about India.
For trade between India and England
Is drying up. It's anything but healthy.
The Indian National Congress, which
met less than 10 days ago, declared
for complete independence of India.
The British Labor government knows
England cannot permanently hold In
dia without Indian cooperation.
Irby Page. writing from India says:
After all, there are only $4,000 Brit
isherS in the whole of India and an
infiamed and Infatuated nation of 800
600, 900 cannot be permanently ruled
I by bayonets."
Gandhi's Message.
Before the National Congress met,
Mr.. Gandhi led the group that favored
status for India similar to that of
the Dominion of Canada in the Brit
ish Commonwealth. Thursday he sent
q message to the American public
through the Associated Press of the
North American Newspaper Alliance.
In this message he said the declaration
OF independence the Congress passed
became inevitable when it was an
nounced that the proposed round table
conference with Lord Irwin, the vice.
roy OF India. would not consider
scheme for dominion status for India.
Mr.. Page met Mr.. Gandhi. His de-
scription of the man who yields more
influence over q greater number of
mankind than probably any other liv-
ing being Is particularly vivid:
He has frail little body and weighs
less than 100 pounds. He wears a mini
mum of clothes; usually goes stripped
to the waist, with his feet bare except
for sandals when outdoors. His ears
are large, his teeth in wretched shape,
his head is shaved and yet you would
not think OF him as homely. He eats
only fruits and nuts and drinks goats
milk. Arising at 3 or 4 o'clock every
morning. he is an indefatigable worker.
Rarely alone. he does much of his work
with crowd about him as pune
tual as a clock. His mind cuts like a
razor. He expresses himself with brew
ity and clarity in the purest of Eng
lish no trace Of austerity about
him. On the contrary, he is the most
jovial Of persons"
Anti-British feeling is running high
! in India. Even C. F. Andrews, the old
est and most beloved Britisher in In
dia, is being attacked because he dined
recently with a British Ambassador in
Washington.
ITO grant complete dominion status
at this time would undoubtedly be a
dangerous procedure: to withhold IL
might prove far more perilous," says
Kirby Page.
Unemployment Problem.
william Green. president of the
American Federation of Labor, esti-
mates that 100000 men are unem-
ployed in the United States, due to
% a displacement of labor by mechan-
lean devices and 90 the effect of the
downward economic cycle which fol-
lowed the stock market crash.
1t Is well known that the main OBJ
jective of the recent conferences in
Washington, under Government and
business sponsorship, had in mind the
Unemployment problem more than any
other
Unemployment figures are all guesses
1t seems paradoXical that a country
which boasts the finest business Stats
tics in the world should. be so lame in
authoritative figures dealing with I'M
employment
Senator Wagner of New York. with
this in mind, is expecting to introduce
in Congress bill to meet the situation,
providing for cooperation in the main
tenance OF State and municipal public
employment of1ices and a complete sta
tistical reporting service to give all such
facts.
No one will deny the immense value
Of such move. The problem of I'M
employment has never been tackled In
America except in a weak, vacillating
and Indifferent manner.
Meat Consumption Declines.
THE per capita meat consumption
has declined per cent in the last 30
years. Consumption of wheat and cof-
fee also has been declining" says DR..
Bernhard Ostrolenk, well known finan-
cial expert
With the gradual increase in the
standard of living Of the great majority
of the people, more variety is demanded.
with a constant tendency to change the
form of diet
Through the advice of doctors and
through widespread advertisements of
manufacturers offering new kinds of
food. the public taste had been rapidly
changing.
Certain so-called health foods differ
quite radically from the basic foods Of
our ancestors. Coffee substitutes are
coming In. Many physicians declare
that too much meat is not good for
the human system.
This problem is constantly in the
minds of the manufacturers of the
stable food products. 1t is one of those
things which every industry must face
and watch carefully. Popular taste is
not clearly defined. An industry may
find its demand rapidly declining be-
cause OF some passing whim.
An example is shown In the fiuctuat-
ing consumption of coffee in the United
States. The 1928-29 consumption was
almost 100000 bags less than in the
preceding year. The month of Deem
consumption In the United States of
q. 1000 bags, in comparison with Deem
Der, 1928. More people, less coffee
consumed.
But for the six-month period ending
last December 81 the total coffee con-
sumption was 5,317.8l1 bags, compared
with 5,072,652 during the correspond
ing period Of 1928.
It's hard to analyze such figures.
Gold Shipments.
France continues to be a magnet for
American gold. During the past six
days. from January 2 to January s,
France has taken more than $8,0o0,000
Of American gold. in a total of net ex-
world was a negligible factor.
The last week of 1929 France took
S11 ,265,O00 In a total net export of
$13,255,000 Yes. the French franc is
strong in all parts of the world.
France is anxious to become a lead
ing creditor power-a world banker.
Lately she has organized her banking
and credit system to compete seriously
with London and New York as a world
credit center.
No nation has come through the war
any more painlessly so far as financial
operations are concerned, than France.
Her operations continue to astonish and
puzzle world financiers.
Copyright, 1880, by the North American
Newspaper Alliance
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BROOKMIRE FORESEES
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