The Bismarck tribune., 1934-01-15

spontaneous origin published herein.
All rights Of republication Of ell other
matter herein are also reserved.
We Don't Need II
Slowly expanding statistics On the
t1ew growth In American foreign
trade should not deceive VI into put
ting too much faith in that Develop
snent g . factor in our national
oconomy.
FOR any realistic view Of the exist
Ing situation shows that foreign
trade. on tho whole. IL liable to d.
minish rather than increase over
long period Of years. II we choose
to practically give away the products
Of our farms and factories. Of course,
the situation viii b different. We
tried this In the period leading up
TO 1870 and all It brought was grtef.
When ~ think Of foreign trade ut
On, Il should b In terms Of profit
able commercial intercourse, both for
the individual and for the general
economic well-being Of the country.
Too many Of US, because we live
Oar inland and have little direct con-
nection with It, are prone to think
Of foreign trade as . mysterious
thing. It Is difficult for W to realize
that It IL, after all, merely . trade
between individuals carried On across
the borders Of nations In much the
same way that our ordinary retail
transactions are carried on over the
oounters Of our local stores.
It = complicated by tariffs, quotas
and restrictions, Of course, but when
these are smmounted the trade is
On the same hQsis % that between
individuals anywhere. Thus the
whole thing hotls down to questions
Of supply. demand. credit and ability
to pay.
It Is simply . matter q what We
have to sell that other people want
to buy and what We want 70 buy
that they have to sell.
+ = =
In tho past. agricultural products
were one Of our main Items q export.
What happened 70 that business -
all too evident 70 The farmer who has
been struggling With low prices.
Europe. which used 70 be our best
market, doesn't want much, II any,
os our goods because It now y pro-
ducing it, own. France Is . wheat
exporting country. Germany i a.
most self-Sustaining. England I'M
ports less than formerly because
subsidies 70 her farmers have stimu-
lated production. Many countries In
Europe, particularly those In the
Danube basin, are On an export
basis,
The sazne situation holds with
bther foodstuffs. The Scandinavian
countries import some grains but
they export dairy and pork products.
Even In the markets which still
exist W must meet the competition
" Australia and Canada, newer
countries where the costs Of produc-
lion are less than our own.
The American farmer must, there
fore. either sell for the world price
bc kiss his export market soodhy. We
have adopted thu latter course. Such
things g England's granting u Z
preference On pork imports hslp I
Uttls but, In the long run, they d
not and VIII not mean much. + 4
obvious that ~ cannot depend On Z
foreign market Tor farm prosperity.
Tho manufacturing situation re-
Fleets somewhat thu same situation
Fur many years America. leader Il
mass production. exported machinery
and machine products Of III kinds
Our automobues. for example. doni.
mated the markets q tho world.
Than, In tlae middle le2os began
the pegiod of tremsndous loanl
abroad. Much q that money wsnt
10 tho erection q factories IN othes
lands. Amsgican enGinssss installst
American system& 0raneh factogtal
were opensd abroad. Produetiaa usv
apace. Soon thoee countries qui'
buying from = bsoauss ting wssl
making their own prodnets. n eassl
where the nsw houae industries vsrl
unable 70 compste On even terms
foreign governments have not hsd'
tated 70 slap q h1ayy tariffk 4
some cases prsfsrsnces ~ glves
other nations. but II most Instance
foreign trade has diuaintgted -.
cause tho naxtst hos oomplstai,
1isappearsd @ heane mau11aeesr0'
beeans ahls - eosU 1ee II
1horo ~ e1ooptie01 70 th19e oon'
.osal 1ule4 & eoufse. but ou The who'll
1 0s1 szpre1 tts situation whict
.haudicaps dsvslopaaent q AmaricaH
'1rads n 0rope.
1he Ogisnt of5sfs : vast oonsum'
~ nafhet Tor u claa9eeaoe items
I ut IL purchaatng. powsr there I
IN and ce1lpetitiea = keen. n hal
- 1aDalansaG 1passl thAt An1si'