The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1940-02-15

Well-being of this nation and all its
people rests in his ability to sell his
products in the lower brackets of this
economic ladder is day dreaming.
If you were about to undergo an
operation for serious ailment, you
would naturally go to the best surgeon
in your community for the best medi-
cal advice possible. The same applies
to business. America is sick. 1t needs
doctor, but it needs something more
than the advice of politico o-suedo-econ-
omists who are day-dreaming that the
salvation of America lies in saving the
world first. 1t is cockeyed thinking
it is more than that. 1t is almost
economic treason, if they do so will
fully and knowingly.
/ am going to give you simple
little statement which to my mind ap-
pears as sound economic philosophy Of
the class or kind that might have been
enunciated by George Washington,
Jefferson, Hamilton, or any Of the
Fathers of Our Country; and here it
is:
whatever we do, we shall need
to do at home. The place to revive
the standard Of living of the United
States is within the United States,
and the idea that we can revive our
own industries and promote higher
level of domestic exchange by for
eign trade is without foundation. In
the first place, the world could not
offer us enough sales to make any
material difference in our home pro-
duction, and in the second place,
business founded upon foreign mar
kets, instead of our own markets,
is only temporary"
Henry Ford made that statement
before this chart was prepared by the
League of Nations, and before there
was any war in Europe, even any i'm
mediate prospects of a war in Europe
He did not make it as prophecy, but
as statement of fact, based on his
business knowledge and experience as
a most successful businessman.
1t is not SO many years ago that the
number of passenger automobiles in
our country was less than 15,000,000.
All the leading automobile manufac-
turers, excepting one, were of the
opinion that the saturation point had
been reached. Today we have over
22,000,000 passenger cars in our coun-
try, and these same automobile manu-
facturers who were wrong on the satu-
ration point of cars are upholding this
Reciprocal Treaty program. Of course
they want to sell their cars abroad and
we are all happy to see American cars
being sold abroad, but in endorsing
these treaties and requesting that the
power of negotiating and consummat-
ing same be extended, they are asking
you to sacrifice the jobs of workers in
other industries on the altar of So
called reciprocity.
There are hundreds ard -ttshsoaaands
Of manufacturers of various commodi-
ties who do not enjoy any export mar
ket, and right here let me tell you that
foreigners are not buying our cars be-
cause they have any love for Amer
ica. They are not buying them be-
cause we might buy some of their
products. They are buying American
cars because they are the best the
world produces.
Let me tell you a true story:-A
few years ago foreign manufacturer
of pottery called on an American man
ufacturer of the same merchandise in
East Liverpool Ohio. The foreign
manufacturer stood in the office, look
ing out of the second floor window,
and in astonishment he exclaimed,
"Where is the baseball game? | don't
see an athletic field, but | see lot of
cars"
The American employer said, "Why,
those are the cars of my employees"
"What!" exclaimed the foreign
manufactures. "You must have many
thousands of employees. How many
cars are there parked in that field ?"
ooh, between five hundred to five
hundred and fifty"
"And how many employees have
you?" asked the foreign manufacturer
AT the present time, have less
than one thousand. When | am run
ming full handed, l employ twelve
hundred" replied the American manu-
facturer.
Great Heavensw said the foreign
manufactures. "Do you know how
many employees | have in my fac
tory? Over 2SC0. And do you know
how many cars there are outside my
factory?"
The American manufacturer said he
had no idea.
The foreign employer with great
glee said, "TWOw My car and that
of my son-in-law." Not alone was he
proud of this fact, but he also stated
that factory workers in his country
had no right to own cars, and that if
they did, he would have to give up his
entire export business.
The above story illustrates the fact
that the American market is the great
est market in the world, not alone for
but for all other products.
Besides the car sold on the American
market is worth two sold abroad, even
if it is only a secondhand car. The
the car is in the possession of
its buver in America, it becomes q con- |