Evening star., 1939-05-07

enough funds for 12-day stay. And
they must come and 60 on German
vessels.
put on them to use vessels flying their
own flag. Similarly, foreign govern
ments foster campaigns and slogans like
Buy British" the effect of which
amounts to partial boycott of our YES
sells and merchandise. Recently an
American exporter of automobile parts
was cautioned to use only a certain
British steamship line for his shipments.
This sort of thing is very frequently
encountered by American exporters.
We are very generous to foreigners
doing business here. We do not dis
cr1minate against them. But how about
American businessmen trading abroad?
Ask some of them.
In some countries American concerns
actually must pay for the privilege of
doing business by subsidizing their for
eign competitors. An example Is the
motion picture business. In some coun-
tries American movie companies must
pay huge license fee, the proceeds of
which are turned over to the local mo-
ton picture industries. This system,
which originated in Germany, is found
today in Poland, the Baltic states, Italy,
etc.
The requirement that exhibitors dis
play certain proportion of locally pro-
duced pictures is quite common abroad.
Here foreign films may be shown without
legal limitation.
Trade Controls Common.
American merchandise trade comes
and goes on vessels of all nationalities
This is not so everywhere. Nations with
merchant marine of their own often
prescribe that their imports be carried
in their own national vessels. This is
not always matter of law, but it is a
practice sometimes enforced where trade
and exchange are controlled officially.
Here foreign trade is entirely free Of
quotas, compensation agreements, Ii
censing, etc. Few foreign countries are
in this category, trade controls being
very common abroad. American textile
exporters, for example, could do per-
haps 10 times as much business as they
do, but for quotas and similar restric-
tions.
In France foreign nitrate companies,
as we'll as OF. companies, must keep large
stocks on hand to aid French national
defense. No such burdensome system
prevails in the United States.
In this country when person dies he
knows his will will be carried out. But
the bequeathing of money internationally
is no longer unimpeded abroad Our
Government does not interfere with the
outflow of funds. Foreign governments,
however, are on the lookout for any such
easy money.
Pensions Sent Abroad.
Pension money is another example Of
American carelessness. Some of our
veterans pensions are helping finance
Fascist governments. Each month
Washington sends out pension checks
to beneiciaries residing abroad.
Through Berlin alone about $4,000
in such American checks is distributed
each month. These dollar checks, if re-
ceived by persons who have been in Ger
many over six months, must be turned
over to the German government i'm
mediately, at the Official" rate of ex-
change. They are thus paid for in de-
preciated reichsmarks at the rate of 2.40
per dollar, whereas, any tourist can buy
reichsmarks at 6 per dollar.
In other words, the German govern
ment as it's share gets about three-fifths
of the remittances Uncle Sam sends to
American veterans who fought Germany,
and to other pensioners who have picked
Germany for home.
In Greece such American pension
checks constitute large item in the
country's balance of international pay
ments. Yet what can such countries
veterans residing in America draw in
pension from the homeland? Nothing.
On grand scale is our silver subsidy.
Four -fifths of the 1000 5000 ounces
of silver acquired under the 1884 pro-
grams to date has come from abroad.
Hundreds of millions of dollars have been
poured, mo questions asked" in the
pockets of foreign sellers Of silver, and
because we pay dearly for that useless
silver with our merchandise exports and
the like, some Americans foolishly think
that we've managed great bargain.
Our gold program is even vaster in its
wastefulness. Since the revaluation of
the dollar and of our gold stock In 1884,
this country's stock of gold has more
than doubled. We have bought at $500
per ounce, over $1,000 900 900 of the yell
low metal. We have paid for it in goods
and services, or in American securities
Meanwhile in South Africa several hun
dred thousand persons are, in effect, on
our gold dole, feverishly digging up some
more of the metal we have too much Of.
1t might be we'll for Congress to set
up watchdog Committee on Benefits
to Foreigners" and to have all pro-
| spective special-interest legislation ex-
| amined with view to determining
whether or not an incidental gift to for
eigners is involved; and If SO, whether
such gift to foreigners Is In the national
| interest.