Evening star., 1939-04-19
Emphasizes Need for
Trade With Germany
Another War Held Certuin
If Raw Materials Are
Denied Hitler

1t Raw Materials, Are
Denied Hitler
To the Editor of The Star:
Assam American whose Anglo Scotch
ancestry was firmly established In Amer
lea prior to the Revolutionary War, take
this opportunity to express my disproval
of the false, misleading and prejudiced
statements of numerous public officials
and prominent people of the Nation
which are calculated to arouse public
sentiment to a pitch where calm judg-
ment cannot prevail.
If we hope to correct present interna-
tional Ills we must turn to examine the
reasons behind the present situation
abroad. We must attempt to find and
to study the reasons for the present
actions of the have-not nations by
searching for the basic unpleasant situa-
ton which is forcing those nations on
their present course. In doing SO we
will find that there exists one problem
which is common to all of these nations.
To say that they are overpopulated brings
the cry that so is England, so is Holland,
so is Belgium, etc. There is however, one
fundamental difference. Vast numbers
of the population in the so-called aggres-
sors suffer from malnutrition.
The. intolerant will express the view
that this is SO because of the diverting of
huge sums for armament purposes. This
Is fallacy which a moments thought
will dispose of. The cost of armaments
reflects in large measure labor expense,
and the money so spent has no appreci-
able value in international trade for it
is simply domestic item and the labor
SO used has no international value ex-
cept as it is represented by finished
industrial goods.
1t Is regrettable that SO many we'll
regarded public figures are wont to draw
upon the fact that Germany and Italy
are encouraging increased birth rates as
illustrative of the inconsistency of their
plea. 1t is Well-knoWn fact that those
countries have made no appreciable gain
in the birth rate, but have only been
able to overcome the setback of the nor
NAL rate as result of the World War
Is 1t inferred that the right to family
must depend upon the amount OF wealth
one has?
Germany, Japan, Italy and numerous
other smaller nations have not the agri-
cultural land nor the variety of climate
necessary to raise the wide range of
foods necessary for proper diet. Conse-
quently they do not have agricultural
products to offer the United States, Rus
sia, the British Empire, Argentina and
other countries having surpluses to trade.
They must perforce offer manufactured
goods in trade and it is tragic fact that
nation after nation is becoming indus
trialized far beyond its own needs and
is making it more difficult for Germany,
Italy and Japan to obtain markets for
industrial products. This is true in our
own case. International trade has be-
come an exchange Of raw materials
rather than finished manufactured goods.
and the have-not nations have no raw
materials to trade with nations which
control the worlds supply OF virtually
every raw material.
The statement OF Adolph Hitler, Ger
many must export or die" has great
significance and there is tragedy in every
word-tragedy for Germany and the
other have-nots and tragedy for the
entire world of today and the immediate
future, for Germany has very little to
offer the world in exchange for neces-
sary agricultural supplies and she can
not, even though she so chose, close
herself from international trade for she
will surely starve. Nor can we, in all
justice to humanity, refuse to trade with
Germany for we are the only nation,
with the possible exception OF Russia,
having an exportable surplus of any size.
If We should be so unjust as to shut of
trade with Germany we must assume
large part Of the blame for any great war.
Germany will demand justice, and like
any proud people, she will refuse charity
as we would in her position. If she does
not get an equitable share of the worlds
wealth she will fight for what she needs.
Conferences, treaties, guarantees,
threats and reprisals will not be decisive
II they do not serve fairly and justly the
needs OF both sides. Another war will not
reduce the problems, but constructive,
unself1sh statesmen, backed by unselfish
peoples willing to recognize that others
deserve consideration, can and must ar
range just and equitable settlement
and If that means appeasement then by
all means lets have appeasement-not
at the expense of nations and nationali-
ties, but at the expense of having control
over smaller proportion Of the worlds
raw materials. Such settlement will
be cheaper than war and a great deal
more permanent than treaty of peace
The present policy of stopping agrees
sors by economic penalties will lead in
evitably to that which we seek to pre-
vent-war. 1t is policy of heaping Goals
upon smouldering fire. We refuse to
discuss trade policies with Germany be-
cause we do not like her methods. Her
method was resorted to because she could
not trade otherwise. We are now being
told that we must adopt substantially
the same system to alleviate our own
trade difficulties arising from surplus
OF goods Nor can we claim that this is
the result Of Germany's practices, because
the surpluSes are in two commodities
which many nations need. The admin
lstration has seen fit to deny the have
not nations the right to share in the
proposed diSnosa1 of o,,r e,,rp1,,c v,heat