The Daily Alaska empire., 1935-05-18
New England Cries "Ruin."
(Kansas City TimesD

One of the most obvious pieces of propaganda that has yet found it's way into the motion picture news reels is being shown at a downtown theatre lin Kansas City this week. primarily it seems, for the benefit of the cotton manufacturing industry lof New England. Since the Middle West has been the principal victim of the system of high tariff protection under which this particular industry and many other Eastern interests have long been sheltered it is important that such propaganda should not be permitted to go unchallenged.
 The proposition put forward in the news reel lat considerable length is that the great American cotton manufacturing industry is being ruined by an influx of cheap Japanese goods. All the usual resources of propaganda are employed. New England textile mill is shown shutting down; New England employer speaks, so does New England worker and New England Congress- woman and finally, after picture showing some Japanese imports, the whole issue of save New England is put the high plane of patriotic duty. No effort is made at balanced argument, and, usual in propaganda, only side of the question is presented and that chiefly on an emo- tional basis
 What are the facts of the situation? The cotton manufacturers of New England have long been accustomed to draw tribute from the rest of the country in the form of tariff protection for an industry that cannot compete on even terms with
 it's foreign competitors. The familiar argument
 is advanced that this inability is the result of
 the cheap labor costs abroad but there critics
 who suggest that behind the tariff barrier in-
 efficient industry has been allowed the luxuries of
 obsolete equipment and poor management, well , as thoroughly illogical location. (The essential unsoundness of New England's position cotton , manufacturing section is indicated by the recent
 trend of the industry into the South, a trend
 that the direct result of economic law and can
 not be charged to foreign competition)
 Now comes this pampered industry with a tale of ruin from Japanese imports Again, what are
 the facts? In the last eight months Japan bought ! TJ.,;+al lion dollars. If the imports of Japanese cotton goods into this country continue at it's present rate, their total value for the whole year will be less than 2lz million dollars This amount in turn
 represents considerably less than per cent of the value of cotton goods manufactured in the United
 States.
 These figures are Illuminating They show that
 about thrty-five times much as the cotton tex tiles that 1t sells to this country. They further
 show that imports of Japanese cotton goods into the United States still relatively insignificant in comparison either with foreign trade in raw cotton with the output of our own cotton tex
 tile industry. Japan is one of best foreign
 customers. American exports to Japan valued
 annually at 150 million dollars, and Japan must
 be permitted to sell its goods in this country, in order to continue buying from us
 These are facts that do not make good propa- ganda material and they not mentioned in the
 news reel But for its protection the Middle
 West must take them into consideration before
 lit yields to any more "save-New- England" senti- ment. The present cost of such rescue work to a section that is heavily interested in developing export markets is practically prohibitive Perhaps i, indeed, the Middle West should enter the pro-
 paganda game itself and show few of the farms
 that have been ruined by tariff policy that for
 years has discriminated against it in favor of the East. Certainly, the Middle West should employ every political method available to right one of the lur0r hat haS hppO pfio
 section of the country for the advantage of another