The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-04-12
Trade Worth Billions!
(New York World-TeleRram)

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While America looks for q way out
of depression and Secretary of State
Stimson departs for the Geneva dis
armament conference, one simple
road to trade revival and peace re-
mains neglected. More than any
other single act. a restoration OF
friendly trade relations with Russia
would improve business and quiet
threats of world war.
It is doubtful II there is anything
else the United States can do at the
moment which will materially check
the war forces In the Far East or
prevent the eventual Spread of those
forces to Europe. Unfriendly Rus
so-American relations are virtual
invitation to Japar to continue her
aggression into Siberia.
! The dollars-and-cents argument
for better relations with Russia Is un-
answerable.
One reason for our depression is
the loss Of foreign trade. As Prest-
dent Hoover and others have demon
strated. exports absorbed the ten per
cent of our production which was the
margin between prosperity and de-
preston, between profit and no prof
1t. That surplus. no longer sold
abroad, now smothers us. Since 1928
our foreign trade has been cut al
most in half.
That diagnosis of part of our eco
nomic sickness is clearer and easier
than to find a remedy. Those who
advise us to turn back and concen-
trate on the domestic market admit
that this has not availed during the
last two years. They admit, further
that there IS Slight possibility of the
domestic market in the near future
requiring the full output of our fac
tories and labor power.
And those who hope for revival
OF general foreign trade admit that
it is not in sight. AS foreign nations
raise higher tariffs and trade bar
riers in retaliation for the American
tariff wall and as our foreign debtors
default upon their bonds, the pros
poets for general increase in Amer
lean exports grow less favorable
Russia is an eXceptiOn-the only i'm
pOrtant exception.
Russia needs and wants the goods
cur closed factories and unemployed
labor could produce.
Russia pays her bills Russia is
the only European nation in the post
war period with a 100 per cent record
IN meeting her trade obligations
Russia, in 10 years Of dealing with
hundreds of American corporation:
and buying hundreds Of millions oil
dollars worth of American products
has never defaulted on one cent.
Russia is the only important Amer
lean market In which the trade bal
ance is overwhelmingly In our favoy
she has been spending five dollars
IN this country to every dollar we
spend In Russia.
Russian trade is not only safe, sura
and profitable: 1t also IS almost COM
pletely noncompetitive with Amer1-
can products. Except for q very
small coal trade and other minor
items, the things we buy from Rus
STA in the favorable five-to-one ex.
change are materials not produced
in America.
With that rich Russian market
waiting for US, an intelligent Amer
lea might be expected to take advan-
tage Of tor at least a depression
ridden America might be expected to
grasp those offered orders for bust
ness.
Instead, we are killing our Russian
business. Two years ago Russia was
our seventh-best customer. During
January and February. 1880, Russia
placed $24,000,000 worth OF business
here, compared with a little more
than one million In the same period
this year. That business has gone
to Germany and England-while our
factories are idle.
American business men who want
orders and American workers who
want jobs should ask their govern
ment to send a delegation TO Russia
to make billion dollar trade agree
ment.